Two of a kind
by Hiroen Nnir
Summary: A series of one-shots and what not's between our Ice Dragon and White Butterfly. HitsuRuki
1. Chapter 1 Festival

Inspired by random thoughts and pictures

of our HitsuRuki!

I don't own them however...

* * *

A raven haired shinigami walked blissfully down Soul Society as a smile was plastered her snow white skin, her bright purple eyes gleamed in the sun as she made her way towards a certain person. All the eyes that watched her ether smiled at her fortune or frown at the fact that is was her and not them. After all news travels fast in a world filled with souls.

Kuchiki Rukia was dating Hitsugaya Toushiro. For nether of the two ice wielders would stop smiling! it was also plain as day that the raven haired girl would visit him daily, and for the white haired captain to be VERY possessive of his girl.

"Oi! Rukia!" a male voice came from ahead as Rukia looked to see her childhood friend running up to her with a smile on. She raised her hand and waved,

"Yo! Renji! what's up?"

"Nothing much you?"

"I'm going to see Hitsugaya taichou" Rukia smiled, even though they were going out she still didn't like calling him with out his title, at least not in public. However she would call him nothing but his first name when with the white haired man.

"Hmm so how are things with you two?" the tall man asked when Rukia only smiled

"Sorry Renji but whatever happens between me and Hitsugaya taichou stays between us"

"Aw man your no fun!" the red head grinned, knowing that was the best he was going to get reached up and rested his palm on the small girl's head and ruffled her raven locks. When he opened his eyes and noticed something was wrong. VERY wrong.

"Hey Rukia do you feel that it suddenly got really cold?" his brown eyes widened when he could see his breath,

"Abarai what do you think your doing?" a stern and pissed off voice came from behind the tall man as he turned to see pulsing ice blue reiatsu radiating from a white haired captain.

"HISugayA TAichoU!" Renji's voice creaked in an unmanly manner. The small captain before him looked REALLY pissed off and he had an inkling as to what is was about.

"Get your hand off of Rukia, Abarai"

"Yes sir!" his hand swept off the petite shinigami's head and to his side, as he bowed and excused him self, but not before sneaking a peak at his friend and ran off; not wanting to deal with the wrath of this captain.

* * *

"Honesty Toushiro, all Renji was doing was playing we weren't doing anything" Rukia sighed sounding as if he disappointed her, her smile showed otherwise. The captain stepped forward until he could feel her heat radiate from her body, and he wrapped his left arm around her waist

"I don't care what he was doing, no one is allowed to touch you but me!" he looked so determined that he failed to see a smile form on his girlfriends face, as she leaned down to whisper into his ear.

"Would that also mean in the bedroom?" feverishly hot flush covered the ice captains face as Rukia blew into his ear, his breath hitched and he could feel his heart race.

"RUKIA!"

"What? I was only asking" she looked into his mint green eyes with her soft purple eyes, looking completely innocent. In the two months of them dating Rukia found that the most innocent things she did made the ice captain blush red, whether it was the way she looked at him, the way she spoke, to the way she moved, she **loved **making him blush.

Of course they never **did **it before and they decided they wouldn't anytime soon, they were too young and it just wouldn't be right until they got married. No matter how much Toushiro loved Rukia or she him, they held back for the right moment, only then would it be all the sweeter.

Hitsugaya cleared his throat and continued

"What is it that you wanted to speak with me anyway Rukia?" she had asked to meet with him a few hours ago but when she didn't show up he got worried and decided to look for her.

"I wanted to ask you if you would take me to the Winter festival tonight" Rukia looked at her boyfriend with innocent bunny eyes, the same eyes that he found he couldn't say no to. It proved to be true so many times.

"Fine, I'll pick you up around dark, so wait for me at your house"

"Roger!" she smiled and saluted her lover and sweetly kissed his left cheek, causing his blush to return.

"Rukia!"

"Don't make me wait long Toushiro!" and she ran off to her division, leaving her ice prince to sigh.

* * *

Later that night

Toushiro found that Rukia had a wild and very 'fluffy' side. Especially after when he proclaimed his love for her, she would constantly tease him, play him, and make him blush, she would look at him with her big innocent purple eyes and he would feel his cool heart melt and allow her to get away with EVERYTHING.

This was how he ended up as he stood at her front steps outside the Kuchiki mansion, dressed in a light blue winter kimono, with three stark white strips running across the bottom. Waiting with his arms crossed over his chest, for his snow princess; when the gates opened to reveal a **very **stunning Rukia. She was dressed in a soft pastel purple kimono, with icicle prints along the bottom of her sleeves and across her legs. Her midnight hair that contrasted him so well, was tied up into a bun with crystal ornaments and a light purple eye shadow that made her already, gorgeous amethyst eyes glow all the more.

Toushiro's breath was taken from him in that moment, as his girlfriend stood before him; blushing

"You can stare at me later Toushiro, now let's get to the festival!" Rukia exclaimed as she pulled her boyfriend by the arm and ran, trying to cool her flushed face and calm her racing heart. As the two ice wielder made it to the gathering, both eyes widened in silenced shock, every lantern hanging high above them looked as if they were the every icicles on Rukia's kimono. Light blues, soft purples, pure whites and gentle gray were the only colors that surrounded them, however bright reds, vibrant oranges, loud greens, even some mysterious black kimonos were worn to the occasion.

But that didn't distract the two as Rukia pulled her prince, towards a few games

"Awww Toushiro! look!" she pointed towards a bunny that looked a lot like chappy with a green ribbon around its neck.

"Please! could you...?" she pleaded the usually stoic captain as he sighed, once again he couldn't refuse **those** eyes. In an instant the boy had won the bunny and was being kissed all over by Rukia.

"Thank you so much! Toushiro!"

"It...it's fine Rukia!" the white haired boy blushed deep red for even though they had been dating for two months he still wasn't used to the attention the girl gave him.

"Let's go" Hitsugaya said as he pulled Rukia from her hugging spree of the white bunny. For the longest time that night, they visited practically all the games, stations, and other venders from all over Soul Society, when they finally decided to rest on the top of a hill over looking the lively festival below, sitting close together at the base of a large tree.

"Did you enjoy yourself Rukia?" the boy's chest vibrated against Rukia's head as she leaned on him, she nodded

"We had lots of fun!" she held up her bunny, shoving it into the tanned captain's face acting as if it were the one talking and Rukia was sleeping,

"I'm glad" he whispered as he leaned forward and aimed at Rukia's forehead when she tilted her head back a tiny bit and their lips met.

* * *

Hitsugaya could swear that whenever his lips tasted the raven haired girls lips he could feel a part of his once ice cold frozen heart melt into the pit of his stomach, where it turned to hunger and lust. He forced his hot tongue into the girls mouth as he sucked and licked, Rukia moaned against his growing smile; pressing in harder he wanted at least one thing that he could have, that she didn't make him do because she wanted it.

She had only meant for a soft and gentle kiss, not to tongue wrestle with his much stronger tongue. However that didn't mean she didn't like it. Rarely would they kiss like this yet when they did Toushiro's tongue pounded against hers all the time, she would TRY to win against his but he was always the one to force his into her mouth,

'One day! Toushiro! I'll get you!' Rukia thought with promise as she smiled under him, finally breaking away for air she twisted to look her prince in the eyes as both their faced flushed with **deep** red.

"I hate it when you do that" her eyes and face telling otherwise,

"Really? I would have never guessed" he smirked at her as he gathered his princess into his lap looking up into the starry night sky.

"Yeah right," sarcasm thick in her voice as she leaned on the youngest captain's hard chest, feeling his heart beat in his rib cage. Rukia smiled

"One day I'll get you, my _dear_ ice prince"

"That will be the day, my _lovely _snow princess." And together the two watched the fireworks that exploded before them, illuminating their eyes.

* * *

Me- I know its REALLY crappy!

but this was in my head

but now that I've written it more will come!

hopefully...please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2 Forbidden love

the next chapter/ part of my one shots!

thanks for the reviews by the way!

I do not own anything but the plots however!

* * *

She needed him.

That was plan as day was blinding to his eyes. The young raven haired woman cast a look behind her making sure that no one was following her silent footsteps. Of course that would be impossible, in the dead of night under only the light of the full moon, only would a person who wanted death would travel at this time. Call her crazy, call her suicidal it matter not to her, she needed to see him once more.

For too long has she waited for his return but to no avail. He never returned to her balcony, never to caress her like he would, lay in her bed cradling her close to his wide chest, kiss her with those lips of his, only in his strong and possessive arms would he make her feel intoxicated. Only when they were one would she feel in ecstasy.

She wanted him.

Quickening her pace to a light jog, lifting her black dress over her stocking covered legs she rushed to his side, her coal black fauna boots clanging against the unforgiving cobble stone. Her dark purple eyes only looking foreword toward where he awaited as the dark, suffocating alley way walls of London, England loomed over her in almost silent quelled obsession. She was the heiress of her family name, praised to be the youngest woman to own half of the new world, loved by many for her beauty, her grace and intelligence. She was Kuchiki Rukia. Yet for all she cared about she could be a nobody laying naked in this wide world filled with evil and disgusting men who wanted only her body, as long as she was his. She didn't care.

She yearned for him.

Knowing that if she ran any faster she would be with him once more, however she could feel her lungs closing at the little amount of air she was letting in. Her heart twisted in pain, her lungs screamed for her to stop and catch a breath, her legs begged, yet her mind refused to stop until she was in his arms. Picking up her black dress once more, Rukia ran towards him.

'Closer! almost! I'm almost there!' the edges of the abandoned castle standing in the deserted parts of town grew larger in her blurring sight.

She needed him

* * *

Just as he needed her.

He could smell her on the wind as her sweet smell drifted through his nose, of wild roses and purity. Yes, she was pure like the moonlight that he longed for every time he awoke, just so he could see her porcelain skin, her glassy purple eyes once more. She gave him a propose to live on when all of society rejected him. It was on a night like this, long ago when he stumbled upon her balcony, her fluttering French doors basking in the soft summer breeze. He had heard her soft breathing from far away and he knew automatically that he had to have her, with the inhuman gracefulness he possessed he walked over her room, the soul of his black shoes never giving to the sound of his footsteps, as he stood over her angelic white canopy bed, her sleeping form under the fluffy sheets, with only her black bob of raven hair, head and shoulders peaked above. Normally he had the will power to hold temptation for many days, yet with one look to this sleeping woman his barriers broke into a million of glass mirrors, as he leaned over giving her a kiss.

Wide glassy amethyst eyes stared up at him in horror and shock, soon only to look at him in bliss. Bliss that the human world she lived in could never give her, that was the gift he gave her that night however it was also a curse he had placed on her. For each night she would yearn for him, want him with her, the young man didn't even try to deny the fact that he wanted to be with her again.

He wanted her.

To caresses her wholly and all, hold her close to his chest and drown in the smell of wild roses, to kiss her lips once more, that night she had placed her own gift and curse on him as well.

He yearned for her.

Yet he smiled as her could hear she was coming, running up the stair right now as it were, he would have her tonight.

He needed her.

* * *

"You came" he turned slightly to look at the young woman at his door panting breathless

"I needed to see you again"

"I know, as did I" in a single blink of her eyes he was by the towering broken window looking up at the moon and the next he was beside her holding her up bridal style. Her heart raced as he carried her to the blood red velvet couch making sure not the disturb the lose floor boards, stepping over the missing ones in grace only he possessed.

"Rest here and regain you breath" he commanded in his gentle yet demanding voice,

"My lord..."

"Rukia" she sat silently as he took off his midnight black cloak, releasing the star sapphire ice dragon laying horizontally keeping the cloak on his broad shoulders, once the cloak was gone she saw he was as breathtaking as he was long ago, dressed in his black dress shoes, coal black slacks, a tucked in rolled up white button down shirt under the reddest vest she had laid her eyes on, and she had seen plenty. A silver pocket watch hung limply from his left pocket. A gift she had given him.

"You are rested?" he inquired at the look of her now flushed face, she nodded releasing her own plum purple cloak, slightly shivering as the unforgiving winter wind blew through the abandoned mansion. She was dressed in a Victorian style crisp black dress, high collared with white lace flaring out tickling her jaw, tight fitted sleeves that made her arms smaller than they already were, lightly puffed shoulders.

"You look as beautiful as you did when I last saw you, my love" taking his seat beside her on her left letting his right hand grace her porcelain cheek, she turned to look at him better

"As you My lord"

"Rukia you may call me by my name, I am no lord" he gave a slight chuckle, rarely would he ever even smile.

"Yes, Toushiro" his vibrant emerald green eyes danced with amusement only she would arouse as his inhuman white hair bathed in the moonlight, as it showered his being. Slowly almost in a daze Rukia unbuttoned her collar letting the fabric fall over her white shoulders, watching her attentively were hungry lustful green eyes, he watched as her skin glowed as the moonlight danced on her making her look like the fallen angel he so believed her to be, her dark amethyst orbs glazed over watching him under her long black lashes as her raven hair as black as the night sky shined like the darkness in his heart. Holding the cloth close to her small breasts Rukia looked up into her lover's emerald eyes and nodded, taking this time he asked

"Are you sure? there will be pain.." afraid to hurt her once more, even if his body and mind demanded he kiss her.

"I care not, only when you kiss me do I feel free" her face flushed pink making him want her all the more, nodding his white head he slowly leaned down towards her chest, a few centimeters below her left collar bone hovering his tanned lips, tilting her head back gently he opened his mouth to the widest and bit into her flesh.

* * *

Beads of ruby red blood ran down Rukia's white chest down her back and valley. Gasps of pain quickly turned to groans of pleasure as she reached her right hand up to Toushiro's head as she pushed his fangs deeper into her chest,

"Ahh!" her heart beat hastened making Toushiro suck and lick all the more hungrily and lustfully. His moans of bliss masked by the sounds of his licking against the already swollen place he was biting. Only would the two of them share a kiss would they feel in ecstasy. It was law. A feeling that once experienced it can never be avoided, and together the two would forever be bounded. For as long as they shared each other's blood they would be forever free from time's grasp.

Toushiro's hot and burning tongue sucked and pulled at Rukia's chest, he could feel the blood pulse through her body, the smell of sweat, fear, passion mingled with wild roses played in his mind only making him yearn for more. He was a greedy man, he wanted everything from his raven haired lover, he wanted all of her forever! but he couldn't. If he ever let her drink his blood in return she would be brought into his dark world and that was something he would NEVER have. This world wasn't for her, she had her life as he had his, being together like this was enough.

Taking one last long drink of the woman's blood placing it in this memories for the next full moon, he released his deeply embedded fangs careful not to make the tare bigger the holes left by his fangs still open and fresh, letting his emerald eyes see the blood flowing under her skin, forcing his gaze to her pale face he moved her exhausted body to lean on his as he laid back on the couch, his legs straddling her lower body from under her, his arms around her waist as the back of her head laid in the crock of his left shoulder.

"I'm sorry Rukia I drank too much" her black locks shook slightly

"No, I knew what was to come and wished for it" turning her head to look up into his now calm green eyes she smiled with a slight blush, reassuring the worry of her well being in him a little. Seeing the silver cross earring he gave her in her left ear shine under the soft light of the full moon, he smiled kindly his fangs peaking through his lips

"I love you my Rukia" he whispered softly into her ear, making her shiver slightly on top of him he held her closer to his cold body

"I love you as well my Toushiro" leaning on his broad shoulder Rukia let her dark amethyst eyes close to slumbers sweet embrace, as Toushiro followed taking in her sweet smell once more, the smell of wild roses and purity.

He was a vampire and she mortal. Their love was forbidden by law. Yet they had found each other. Only by the light of the full moon would they share their love together as their blood mingled.

He was a vampire and she mortal.

* * *

Me- sooo? how did ya'll like it?

I have to say this was my favorite!

by far!!

please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3 Save me

Thanks for reading and liking my other chapter!

now onto the next!

* * *

"Once upon a time long ago there lived man, he was a fisherman who loved the sea as if she were his wife, everyday he would go out to sea through the calmest days to most darkest storms he sailed. He believed in the ocean with all his heart and for so long she treated him like her lover however, the sky god found out about this love and got jealous thus he created a storm to drown the man. Rolling thunder, flashing lighting, raging winds and life wrenching waves upon waves crashed onto the man, destroying his boat as the sky god forced him under the whirlpools of liquid ice. Seeing this the sea panicked she tried to calm the sky god but his anger was far more than she could handle, knowing that she couldn't do anything herself for the man she did the only thing she could do, something that was forbidden, something that was unheard of. She sent one of her daughters to save the dieing man, a mermaid one of many daughters of the sea. Swimming out towards him the mermaid saved the man's life however as she did the man woke and saw that the mermaid had saved him! quickly before he had time to think of anything she swam away, leaving the man on the beach." An old man closed his son's favorite night time book as he looked at his son with a smile beaming on his face.

"Dad, is that story true? do mermaids really live in the ocean? are they really the sea's daughters? did the sky god really love the sea so much?"

"Now now son, rest your mind you don't want it to break do you?"

"But dad!"

"No buts Toushiro! sleep and get some sleep and I'll let you go fishing with me tomorrow" the old gray haired man combed his three year old son's black hair from his left eye, his bright green eyes shining at the news.

"Alright dad! I promise!" and quickly he was out like a light.

"Rest my little Toushiro, may you never meet our families cruel fate" silently whispering as his lips held a hard smile Juushiro got up and closed the door to his son's room.

"Dad! dad! come on! hurry up!" Toushiro yelled enthusiastically pulling his father's hand towards the small boat they owned, catching the ripples sparkle off the crystal clear Caribbean sea Toushiro smiled, he couldn't hold it in! this was going to be the first time he was going out to sea! he was finally going to be the fisherman he was born to be! just like his father and his father!

"Alright Toushiro get into the boat and we'll be off" Juushiro smiled at his three year old son, he was proud that his young boy was ecstatic about going to sea but he couldn't help but feel anxious. What would happen if his son fell victim to their curse as well? he couldn't bear to think of that, knowing that each male member of their family was obsessed with finding what everybody thought, knew didn't exist. A mermaid.

'No Toushiro is different, he loves the sea but he will not fall into obsession with finding what isn't real!' Juushiro thought in determination as Toushiro climbed onto the boat his voice pulling him from his thoughts.

"Dad! LET'S GO!"

"Alright! alright! let's go!" and go they did. Under the perfect cerulean clear sky, the light of the fresh sun kissing their skin, the cool wind blowing with their boat pulling them along the smooth waves of the azure waters below. Mind blowing colored reefs aligned the sea floor as vibrant colored fish swam passing Toushiro's eyes as he looked down, a huge bliss filled smile across his face. It was the perfect day! however as every fisherman knows that in a flash such a day like this could easily be turned into a terrifying horror in a heartbeat.

He was right. In an instant the skies turned dark, the clear ocean blackened, the winds picked up and pulled against the boat holding the gray haired man and his black haired son.

"Daddy! what's happening?!" Toushiro yelled terror filled his tiny voice, as his body hung to his father's leg

"It's okay Toushiro! hold onto the pole and I'll bring us out of this! I promise!" running towards the pole like his father told him Toushiro watched as his father ran to the wheel and forced the boat to turn towards home. However hard he tried the boat kept refusing to listen to its captain and only to the winds. And as the thunder and lighting hastened Toushiro shut his eyes only to see the pole he was clenching in a death hold break off the boat, as the tiny ship tore apart spreading to the four winds, his father screaming his name in terror, watching his father's gray hair and brown eyes look at him one last time before sinking under the murky waters below, he could barley hear his horrified scream over the waves crashing upon his tiny body begging him to follow.

'No! please! I don't want to die! please someone SAVE ME!!" feeling tiny arms wrap around his chest pulling him out of the raging waters towards safety he knew, Toushiro saw a shimmer of a pearl white tail with a lightly tinted purple fin, and a slim body of a girl before all he saw was darkness as it swallowed him whole.

* * *

'That couldn't have been a mermaid... right?' Toushiro thought as he sat on the beach letting the cool waters caress his toes his mouth behind his entangled fingers casting his vibrant emerald eyes to the horizon, letting the wind blow his white hair making him think of the change that night had on him, or rather the girl who changed him.

"It's said that if any person is touched by a mermaid their hair changes to the color of their tail! so they will always be a part of them!"

"Impossible! what none sense! little Toushiro just lost his father and survived most likely the worst storm we've had in ages! this is no time to be talking about fairytales!" he could remember the doctors talking rashly outside his door, as he remembered looking into the cold water beaker beside him on his hospital nightstand and indeed see that his hair was white,

"The color of that mermaid's tail..." Toushiro whispered to himself as his eyes squinted. He was now seventeen and fully grown, having lived his life alone now that his father was dead, he grew cold. Never setting foot into the water for that night scarring him deep into his heart, yet no matter how much he deeply yearned too he couldn't help but feel betrayed! the sea had betrayed them! his entire family had always been fisherman, through so many generations and this never happened! never did the sea claim one of their lives.

"Damn it! what did we do? why did you take my father's life?! WHY?! TELL ME DAMN IT!" screaming at the calm ocean tears forced themselves towards the edges of his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to go out to sea and scream at it, letting all his anger and frustration, after all it had taken the one person he loved and let him live reaching towards his left breast he could feel a slight tingle run over his skin as he looked down and under his white muscle shirt, to see the dark mark in the shape of a hand lightly glow.

"The mark of life, giving to a survivor only by a daughter of the sea" he quoted, that day fourteen years ago he died. However he didn't go to heaven with his father or mother no, he had been given life by the mermaid that saved him. That left him alone in this world.

"Damn her!...damn her!" clenching his fists he punched the hot sand thinking of the mermaid he saw a glimpse of her pearly white tail with its slightly tinted purple fin, her slim back and maybe a bob of raven black hair. She was the cause of his life now and the reason he was alone and cold. After all the years he had refused to step into the water his fears were thrown to the wind, he had to find her. Find her and demand her to tell him why she had let him live and not his father! why she didn't let him die. Standing up Toushiro looked out towards the sea with strong determination in his emerald eyes, his white hair blowing fiercely with the mighty winds, he would find her.

* * *

Eight years. Eight years of his life he had spent on trying to find the mermaid who saved him. He was now twenty-five and he was still chasing her, as he looked out towards the horizon he couldn't help but shed a humorless smile

'Looks like I couldn't fight what runs so deeply in my family' having read the Hitsugaya family scrolls and books he found that not only were each male member of his family fisherman, but they all chased the dream of finding what he was looking for... a mermaid. Dressed in slip on sandals, light green khakis, and an unbuttoned white shirt with nothing under, letting his tanned well toned torso show he reached up towards the mark over his heart, that never faded.

Lately over the years the mark kept pulling at his heart, as if telling something. Whenever he was out on the ocean the mark tingled and would send his whole body enough adrenaline to ride the waves out into the vast blue crystal, everyday a bit further leading him somewhere, somehow.

Some hours pasted and Toushiro had sailed further than he every had in all the years he had been sailing, spotting an island that wasn't on his map getting curious he anchored off the coast and decided to walk around making sure to write down all that he saw. However Toushiro couldn't help but feel something was off about the island, something that made his mark spark all the more, having no control over his body any longer he allowed his legs take him towards the other side of the island, until he saw something that took all his breath away. For laying on the beach was a raven haired woman, supporting her upper half by her arms elegant pearls dangled over her small shoulders holding her shelled bra up, the sun shining on her making her glow inhumanly, Toushiro could see from his position behind the trees that her lower half weren't legs but a stark white tail with a lightly tinted fin of soft purple. He had found her! he finally found her!

Thinking fast he knew that mermaids loved shiny things, quickly he took his pin out from his notepad and gently whistled making her turn in shock to meet with his emerald eyes, her own amethyst purple looked spell bounding. softly throwing his pen in front of her, she nervously looked at in in mild confusion until she cautiously reached for it, that was when he sprinted to her and toppling onto her.

Her eyes wide in horror as he pinned her body down, shifting his legs on her tail so she couldn't hit him, his much larger body covered her petite figure, she was stuck. Wide purple locked with bright emerald and for a moment Toushiro found himself lost in her orbs, momentarily forgetting why he was on her until he caught himself his face twisted in anger.

"Why?! you're the mermaid who saved me twenty-two years ago! I know you remember me! my hair is the same color as your tail! why?! why didn't you let me die? why did you save me?!" clenching his fists in the sand his eyes closed, he didn't see the mermaid lift her left hand and lay it gently on his right cheek.

"Ahh!" he gasped opening his eyes wide to stare into deep amethyst, her black hair shined under the sun weaving around her head as the waters edge pulled and played with it, along with her single bang in front of her face. Her porcelain skin glowed as a sad smile found its way on her, making him lose his breath once more, she was too beautiful to be smiling so sadly he asked

"Why are you so sad? why do you smile like that?" gently she closed her eyes as a single tear fell from the corner of her rested lids as the soft glitter of diamond sand twinkled over her high cheek bones, and eye lids.

"Why are you crying?" opening her eyes a tainted pink blush made its home on her ivory skin making him lose control of his heart beat, his anger gone, his raging emotions left without a trace, leaving him senseless of his surroundings other than the mermaid under him, as he lifted himself out of the water and stand tall as the woman pushed off and dive into the sea, he called out

"Please! tell me your name! please!" knowing it was useless by now, she was probably out of hearing range and far from this place as possible Toushiro was crestfallen, turning to head back he heard a splash of the water's surface as a raven haired creature broke through staring at him with her inhuman orbs a name rang in his head as clear as bells in a gentle sweet voice, he smiled and nodded reaching over his chest towards the mark the mermaid lifted her right hand as if placing it on the spot like she had so many years ago, to save his life.

She disappeared into the waters deep below back to her mother, back to the sea with a swish of her peal white tail just like his hair, her tinted purple fin flipped as if saying goodbye Toushiro blushed lightly and turned with the name still ringing in his ears.

'Rukia.'

* * *

Me- soo? how did ya'll like it?

personally I didn't like it so much, it was a bit worded oddly and

really off...some what sorry!

please read and review once again!


	4. Chapter 4 Fireflies and war

Thank you all so much for the love!

It's always greatly appreciated!

and thanks for thinking these one-shots are so unique!

I'm just finding random inspirations everywhere!

* * *

Fireflies.

Such small and insignificant creatures that only show themselves during the summer's twilight. Tiny blinking lights as if candles in the distant dancing, flirting, playing and teasing as they flew peacefully around a young man's head.

Today was hot.

As the setting sun cast it's rare beauty of golden rays across his face he heard tiny footsteps pattering softly against the tatami floors of the patio of _their_ house. Not turning his head, fully knowing already who the footsteps belonged to.

"Must you go?" her gentle voice asked, innocently every night since he had told her of his decision she would ask the same question, and he found it harder and harder to answer each time. Placing the bowl of triangular watermelons beside him she sat crisp and pristine.

"I must..."

"But the Emperor has enough soldiers! why must you go?"

"To serve my country"

"Then we will leave!"

"Where too? you know during this war this second world war we have no where to go, we are Japanese, we are not excepted anywhere else in this world but here" he tried to tell her as much as himself, knowing that deep down thrusted deep within his soul he wanted nothing more than to run away...with her beside him.

"Toushiro...please...I don't want you to go..." pushing herself off the floor she scooted towards her husband, resting her forehead on his back her single black bang laying on his right shoulder blade. Placing his left hand on hers as it held him, he tried so hard not to let her see him scared.

"I go to fight to protect you Rukia, you so that we can live in peace, so that those dirty Americans **do not **take a single step foot on our land!" exclaimed Toushiro squeezing her hand tightly as if telling him she would not go and leave him. She returned it all to happily

"Promise me...promise me that you will return to me after all of this horror is over, we can live together in peace" Rukia moved so her dark purple eyes looked into her husbands light green. Changing his position he grabbed his wife's small waist and placed her securely on his lap making sure that she was comfortable he wrapped his arms around her possessively and protectively. Letting his head lay on her right shoulder, his tanned face placed snugly against her clear pale one.

"If I come back, I will take you to the sea just as we have always planned" he whispered into her ear, making her slightly shiver even as the warm air of summer danced across her skin.

"**When** you come back we will go to the sea" she corrected turning slightly she kissed his lips softly and gently, like a firefly.

"When I return I promise you..." turning his eyes towards the flickering lights of the creatures dancing around them, he smiled and kissed his wife fully and passionately on her lips once more, "by the light of the fireflies that always return each summer, I will come back to you Rukia." As the lights of the fireflies played with the tall trees, glassy pond and sharp as a sword grass the triangular watermelons glistened. Untouched.

* * *

He asked her to wait.

Wait for him to come back to her when he had finally fought off those disgusting and disrespectful Americans.

Waited she did.

Sitting on the porch for hours on end Rukia waited patiently for her white haired husband. Days turned to months, months into years and still Rukia remained faithful. Through the birth of her children, _their_ children, through the growing up of their children, and the births of their children, her grand sons and daughters Rukia waited.

Black raven colored locks slowly turning gray, her once young and perfect body now old and wrinkled with time, her small hands getting smaller, dark and mystifying purple orbs turning dull and somber, Rukia waited.

She would wait for him. No matter how much time would past, she loved him and...he promised her. And Hitsugaya Toushiro **never** breaks a promise, especially not to her. Clenching her hands she saw the fireflies once again, smiling softly

"Just like he said" said Rukia every summer night, as if it were to tell herself that he wasn't a figment of her imagination, he wasn't a dream that disappeared in the morning light, that he was real. He was her husband, her one true love, her Toushiro.

"Baa-chan come in side! it's too hot out there!" a tiny voice warned from inside the house, calling behind the withered woman. Her granddaughter.

"That's enough Miki, baa-chan will be ok! so go to bed now" a soft young male's voice sounded, her grandson.

"But Katsu nii-chan! baa-chan..."

"Enough Miki go now!"

"Fine..." Watching his little sister walk towards her room in the front of the house the boy took a step out of the back door towards his beloved grandmother as he gently placed a bowl of triangular watermelons down beside her. Taking a step closer he glanced at her profile and asked softly while taking a seat

"Will you wait for him again baa-chan?" he had heard of his grandfather from his mother, who was told by her mother, his Rukia baa-chan. Hitsugaya Toushiro was a man who went off to war long ago and never returned. However no matter how painfully it was to face the cruel truth, his baa-chan still waited for him to return just as he had told her so many years ago.

Turning to look at her grandson's young face she smiled

"I will wait for him again, Katsu-chan"

"I understand baa-chan... but please get some rest soon" the youngster advised, he loved his grandmother, loved her so deeply that even though he understood her better than the rest of his family, it still pained him to see her wither away like this every night for a man he didn't know...for a man no one in his family but his dear grandmother, knew. Carefully he got up and kissed her left temple and returned inside closing the door.

"He will return I am sure." Rukia whispered as the fireflies glittered about her.

* * *

Slowly, softly as gentle as a summer's breath footsteps headed towards a woman, in the dark of twilight shining, glowing by the light of the fireflies. Rukia opened her eyes and turned to her left to meet with the stranger only to intake a sharp breath, as her old heart quicken in pace.

"I knew it...I knew you would come back" looking into light green eyes he knew all to well, her own once dull now sparked with life. She was looking at her husbands eyes.

"I promised you by the light of the fireflies I would return, my Rukia" stepping across the backyard, yellow lights flickering along his features he stood in front of his withered wife. Dressed in his uniform, Rukia couldn't help but beam with pride as he reached out towards her with an outstretched hand.

"You will come with me this time?" his voice rising in a slight question, looking deep into the eyes that captivated him so. Her pale face widened in bliss as she nodded eagerly

"I would follow you to the ends of the earth and back again" taking her dear husbands hand, he held her body close to him, holding her tight as he kissed her full lips with passion and lust. Her vibrant purple eyes mingling with her raven colored hair, her young cheeks aflame with blush.

"I love you Rukia"

"As I love you Toushiro" and as the summer's twilight remained, Rukia fading away with a smile of happiness long forgotten on her face, the fireflies twinkled and danced, as the triangular watermelons glistened. Untouched.

* * *

Me- YAY! how was that? I know sad but she waited for him!

and he returned to her! even after he was dead...she still loved him and waited! and he returned! and for any of you who didn't quite get it, Rukia died on the porch as her soul was taken by the hand with Toushiro to heaven. Also if I offended anyone out there for calling Americans disguesting I'm sorry! but I'm also American so...hahaha but this was during World War 2 so I thought it would be acceptable

sorry it's so short though...I tried making it longer but...then it would have been weird

please read and review!


	5. Chapter 5 Guardian Angel

Sorry for not paying attention to HitsuRuki! My attention was distracted and that I couldn't think of anything for this drabble

But I finally had an idea!

I changed my new story into a drabble because it wasn't worth much as a story

Hahah how embarrassing!

* * *

This wasn't right. That was simple, he was her guardian angel she was human. He wasn't even alive and she didn't even believe in him. She had said, a thousand times before, that she didn't believe in ghosts, spirits, demons or angels. Yet no matter how much a person may not believe that doesn't change the fact that all humans on this earth were given an angel.

To watch over and protect, to lead and to follow. That was all he was after all, her guardian he was her bearer, her light, even if she didn't know it.

He was Hitsugaya Toushiro and she was Kuchiki Rukia. He was her guardian angel and she was his duty. But no matter how times he told himself that it was his job to watch over her from birth to the day she died, he couldn't help that he had fallen for her.

Her raven black hair that was shaped so oddly from the rest but fitted her face and made it glow with an attraction that none could match. Her dark amethyst eyes that would stand tall and proud under all that would push against her. Her pale almost snow white skin seemed so soft and gentle, even as she stood against the many male animals that would try to force her into things she despised of the male race. She was unique from the very blood that flowed through her veins to the way she thought of the world she lived in.

She was Kuchiki Rukia. And it was wrong to feel the way he was feeling but, how could he not feel this way? To not fall for your human duty was the one law from above, all angels knew that to be absolute but in her eyes, in her presence how in the world could he ignore her?!

He hadn't fallen in love with her at first sight that was sure. In fact when he was assigned to be her guardian he didn't want anything to do with her. She was a crybaby, a brat and a whiner. Weak and vulnerable, yes at the time she was a baby and in those early years all humans are weak and need attention and care but with her, it was showered.

She was cared for by the dozens, looked after by the best, taught by the world renown, she was spoiled and he hated her for that.

Yes. There was a time when the young woman he adored so much right now, was the target of his hate. He was a strong warrior when he was alive, long ago in a great battle he had died protecting those he loved and cherished with all his being. Even though he died, he died happily he had fulfilled his job as a warrior and protected all those he could and in the end he was given a position in the heavens above, forever looking over human kind with the many others just like him. Heroes and warriors, kings and queens, knights and all the great people that fell, Toushiro couldn't have felt more comfortable in a place before.

Here he belonged. And for the longest time that was all he wanted after fighting battle after battle, war after war, he had been given eternity to rest and watch over but that all changed when he was assigned to be a guardian, by the head of angels himself.

"You are to be the guardian angel of Kuchiki Rukia, watch over her and protect her from harm until her time on earth is spent"

"I understand" those were his words, to this day he remembers and even the meaning behind them were still fresh in his mind, he scoffed and sneered. He didn't want to go back to earth just to watch over a weak human girl. He had done his job when he was alive, no. He had done more than his job he had acted for his king, that cowered in the face of battle and war, he had stepped up and commanded the men to follow him into the battlefield to fight for their loved ones and to protect all they held dear it was no question that in the end they had won. He had done more than enough for the world of men, why did he have to do more?

Yet no matter how much he didn't want to go, when the king of angels himself give a command it is absolute and there is no room for arguing. And so Toushiro left heaven and descended onto earth to watch over the baby girl. Years pasted and even though automatically he had despised her, Toushiro grew to find that Rukia changed over the years. She hadn't become what he thought she would be, she had become….like him. Weak and fragile at birth, vulnerable and naïve through childhood, but in teens he, she became a voice of the weak, for the woman, for the disabled, for those who didn't have life as easy as she did Rukia had become a warrior just as he did.

Maybe that was when he had begun to fall for her. Have her captivate his heart and make him feel as if he were alive again, yes. That must be why he loved her so much that it tore at him that he could never speak to her, he could never touch her, it was forbidden to touch a human who couldn't see them. He would always be a shadow beside her but what tore at him the most, what made it so painful for him to constantly bear was that Rukia…..didn't believe in him.

* * *

She didn't have a sixth sense to be able to see, hear, or touch him, she didn't have the ability to believe in an afterlife was real. He was proof. He was always proof that heaven and hell did exist, that there are just things as ghosts, and spirits, demons and angels. He was real. But she didn't believe that.

So one day someone had to show her, show her that what she so strongly believed that wasn't real was alive and true. That was the day she had escaped form his emerald sight and vanished into the pits of hell, captured by a demon called by Ulquiorra. He too had fallen for Rukia, even if Toushiro didn't know the laws of hell he knew that it was forbidden to fall for a human as well. Even more so to take them from earth while still alive and down into the pits of the underworld.

Anger seethed from his being and Toushiro had to get her back, she was his Rukia, **HIS ALONE**. No one was allowed her but him! He'd be damned to let a demon have her! Going against his superiors, at the demand that he not follow her and to forget her for soon he would have another to watch over, Toushiro fled into the pits of hell. He REFUSED to let her go, she was like him, a light to the weaker, a beacon of hope for all who met her and right now she needed him more than ever. It was his duty to protect her, after all.

And so in the pit blackness and heated fires of hell Toushiro fought for his Rukia. Against Ulquiorra the angel and demon fought to the death, the black haired demon had his woman to a spike of hatred and anger tied and bounded by lust and jealousy. He fought all the more, using his kept knowledge of fighting he went against the dark magic's of the demon, having forsaken his superiors they had taken Toushiro's powers and left him to rot. Yet he would not leave without Rukia.

"This ends now angel!" instantly a beam of red shot from the demons hands and engulfed Toushiro. Leaving nothing but dust.

"Pathetic"

"Watch your words, demon" poised for the kill from behind the dark green eyed demon Toushiro plunged a stake of gluttony and pride into the heart of the angel of hell. Killing him, yet with one once of will power Ulquiorra turned to look at the woman he had fallen for, as she hung from the spike looking at them in horror, he had touched her as he stole her from earth, causing her to be able to see them and their world. It was forbidden for him and for the angels yet he had too. She was the one he HAD to have.

"Rukia…" closing his eyes once and for all, the demon disincarnated into flames of lost hope.

"Never touch what is mine" staring down at the spot his enemy once occupied Toushiro turned to Rukia as her dark purple eyes locked with his for the first time and he was breathless. She was staring at him, not through him, not in his direction but at him in the face, right in front of him. And she was crying.

Clenching his fists in pain that she was finally looking at him but not in love or friendship but in fear as well as from the wounds of the battle Toushiro quickly released the raven haired girl, trying to usher to her that he was her guardian angel, that he would do nothing to her but protect her with his life, and seeing in his emerald eyes that he was telling the truth and the fact that he did have pure white angel wings stretching out from his back, Rukia smiled.

"Thank you" Toushiro smiled as he looked into the girls eyes the rest of the flight up to the surface of earth. He couldn't be more happier.

She finally believed in him.

* * *

Me- soooo? Like it?!

Hahah I do! In fact a part of me want to not post this as a drabble and continue plotting this as a full length story!

Hahah I'm so mean! but oh well!

Please read and review!


	6. Chapter 6 My open Window

Forgive me for not up-dating this but I've had the worst writers block for this one-shot drabble stuff….

But I just got randomly inspired and got off my lazy butt!

Aren't ya'll proud of me?!

* * *

"Oh wow Rukia you're amazing! How do you draw like that?" a woman asked a smaller raven haired girl with bright purple eyes.

"I don't know…I just love drawing" the girl smiled as she continued to her work, raising her pencil to the pure white paper staring at both her work and the still life of the flowers she was capturing. Each stroke she took of the pencil took live from the flowers that stood under the light of the bright spring sun, glimmering with the dew drops Rukia poured unto the flowers.

Sunflowers that reached out towards the heavens, blood red roses laying on deep violets, clashing with the rare snowdrops and baby breaths. Glittering in the Italian crystal vase dancing off millions of colors, shining through the room. Rukia took it all.

It wasn't that Rukia was a greedy person, it was just that she loved to draw. To let her heart out onto a blank naked piece of paper, to give life to something that no one could see. A portal to a new world that was closed off to many, and ignored by more, as time pasted.

Art was failing. The people of this world cared nothing of the true nature of life, the beauty of the cerulean and sapphire seas, heart stopping emerald and peridot lands that screeched out farther than the eye could see. Light azure skies that would change to blood red and loving tangerine. Everyone was too busy to care about the next best thing they could buy off the internet, what fast and super sleek car to get next no matter how much money when into it, find the latest fashions from the best and most popular places, Rukia sneered.

'This world is rotten' glaring at her paper she stopped and breathed in the calming air, she knew her body better than anyone. While she was troubled she refused to pick up her pencil, knowing that if she was creating something of beauty her mind would ruin it. Right now was not the time to think of the world outside of her own world. Right now was the time to let her heart out.

Holding the pencil onto the paper that stood upright on a stool Rukia continued her drawing, capturing how the light danced off the flower petals, how the shadows crept along the vines and tendrils, how the dew drops sparkled, even how the sun light gracefully tore through the vase, dancing off the nook and cranny spreading it's rainbow colors along Rukia's legs.

Only when she drew, took life from nature and captured it as her own, did Rukia feel free from the quelling pulls of life.

* * *

However many people told her her work was even beyond those of the famous artist Rukia knew she couldn't do anything about it. Her life wasn't that of an artist, free to go wherever there heart wanted, free to draw to their hearts content, no. Rukia's life was that of a simple waitress. At the age of twenty, she finished high school but where did that get her? She didn't go to college, her family disowned her, she had no money to her name, but what pained Rukia the most was that this world only cared of her positions. Her status as a human being.

No one cared that she could capture the world in a new light, show that there was true beauty just slightly beyond each persons finger tips if they reached for it. No one cared if she could do any of that, all anyone cared was her money.

Living in New York didn't help any ether. There was too much here, not enough freedom. To much noise, to much hate and anger. She had to leave.

"I can't stay here…I need air, I need a new beginning" looking at her art, casting her dark amethyst orbs at the art she loved so dearly, she knew she had to get out. Out of the state, out of the country and away from it all. She needed to know that there were people who cared. However how would she do it?

"I don't have enough money to move….unless" clenching her fists she knew what she had to do in order to find her realize. She had to sell her art.

All professional artists would kill to be able to sell their art in New York, for the world to see their creations their life done on paper, however to Rukia her art was her life line. An extension of her own being; of her own soul.

Yet what had to be done, had to be done. And so it was. Surprisingly Rukia had sold every piece of her art, gaining more than enough money to leave. Yet now that she was able, how could she?

"I've nothing left...nothing" staring at her empty apartment, her luggage at her legs she stood alone in the bare room. Her life was gone, gone to rich and greedy people who really couldn't see the true meaning behind Rukia's art. The raven haired woman clenched her fists and stared up with glaring misty eyes,

"If I've nothing here, then I **have** to start over, from the beginning" grabbing her luggage Rukia closed the door to her empty life and looked into the future where hopefully, there she would be able to start again. And maybe just maybe see the true beauty of life with her own eyes and not with those of the hatful person she truly was.

* * *

Rukia at the age of twenty five, stared at the landscape of Ireland before her, it's fresh and free land, lush and foreign air, Rukia smiled letting the wind caress her skin, carrying her raven colored hair around her shoulders, and finally letting her single bang rest on the bridge of her nose.

She stared at her paper in happiness, after living in Europe for five years Rukia had started anew. Things here were different from her old life. Here she was living her dream, no one cared for her money, or see what her status was. She was an artist free to draw to her hearts content, free to go where she wished, she had created more than enough paintings, oil pastel, pencil sketches, even sculptures so why wasn't she….why did she still feel that something was still missing.

"I still haven't found it, that true beauty" sighing she gathered her things and headed towards town, letting the peaceful noise of the citizen of Dublin, Rukia let her ears drown in the sound of her shoes clanging on the cobble stone roads. When she stood at her door of her small house, Rukia found that…she didn't want to stay home. Turning around the young woman walked with her things in hand, towards the park.

Seating herself on a bench, she let her eyes close and breath in the fresh foreign air she grew addicted to. When she felt a person sit beside her, prying her eyes open what she saw took her breath away; leaving only her heart racing.

There on her right was a man, but not just any man she saw on the street, a man with stark white hair that seem to shine as if the very snow crystals of winter were held within, his tanned skin soft and slightly colored, his body young and strong under his black clothes, while his bright green orbs glowed as if the very sun were behind them.

Her body moving on it's own Rukia quickly grabbed her sketch book and pencil, meekly asking in broken Irish

"Excuse me" turning toward his left, the man's eyes clashed with Rukia's and time froze in an instant.

"Yes" his voice smooth and rich, his Irish accent perfect and Rukia knew she had found him!

"May I perchance draw you?" she knew it was an odd question she had never asked it off anyone before but she knew it must have sounded creepy all the same. But she had to try.

He stared at her for a moment, his features not giving up anything until he nodded his head, "If you wish"

"Thank you" and so she began, softly she started with his head capturing every little detail her eye could catch, the light ripples of his hair, the laugh lines around his lips, his perfect cheek bone, his strong jaw line. Everything Rukia took. Moving down he drew his chest, the folds of his tight fitted coal black shirt, the crevices of his chest, arm, and torso muscles as they lay relaxed under her gaze. Moving lower still, she captured every piece of the man, stealing his beauty. She wanted it all.

"I've finished if you wish to see" Rukia finally said as she put her pencil in its case, letting the man see her painting, his bright green eyes widen at the sight.

"This-is amazing, I've never seen something like this before in my life" he stated holding the picture as if it were made of the most delicate glass.

"Truly?"

"I am" he turned his attention to the woman and stared deeply into her amethyst eyes. "My name is Hitsugaya Toushiro, pleased to meet you"

"As am I, my name is Kuchiki Rukia" shaking his hand, they shared a true smile and Rukia knew. She had found what she was looking for all this time.

* * *

Me- so? How was it? I'm sorry if it sounded a bit…off

But I'm writing this at 3:52 in the morning…because I never fall asleep at night anymore…hahah

But anyway tell me what ya'll think in a review cake?

Thank you!


	7. Chapter 7 My Doll

Okay another odd one from Cross!

Trust me I have no idea why these come to my head….okay maybe I do but blame the songs I hear!

Not me!

* * *

You may find it odd, to see a grown man playing with dolls. You see how the children we perform for laugh and smile at us, how they point at us and sing and dance with her. And yet the parents that watch, you know that under those masks they wear laughing along with their children, you see the glint in their eyes, the slight strain in their smile. And yet we ignore it. After all why should we care? Why would it matter to me why they care if I play with you?

"Rukia you don't care do you?"

Silence.

"Heh, I didn't think so" looking out the window I watch the water droplets fall from the grey sky, and I smile you hate rain don't you?….of course you do. You hate how it ruins your dresses, make your short raven hair stick to your face, and your makeup run. But mostly you hate that I have to fuss over you, right?

"Rukia, you're too much"

Silence.

I chuckle slightly. Looking over to you I see you sitting in your chair, surrounded by black lace curtains, perfect and precise just like a doll. Your eyes large and beautiful, glass like mirrors of amethyst. Your hair black like the raven, soft and like silk. Your skin pure white like snow.

"Beautiful."

* * *

Was it so long ago that we met?

I remember that day as if it were yesterday. It was years ago when I was but a teenager, in a store I saw you sitting there, just as you are right now. Perfect and precise. Clothed in a coal black mini dress, puffed shoulders tight long sleeves hugging your thin arms, high collar with white lace, knee high spider leggings, black high heeled shoes, with a cross around your neck as well as on your dress, tied all together with a small hat on the side of your head. Instantly I feel in love with you…call me crazy, call me a freak but no matter what, my heart reaches towards you, for you only.

"I love you, Rukia"

Silence.

I run my hand through my thick white hair. My green eyes search the apartment for you already knowing that your still in the same place I left you. Laying on my bed I can't help but think of how those children loved your dancing, your jokes, how the boy's thought you were cuter than other girls, how the girl's loved your clothes and looks.

I let a smile fall onto my lips as I look up at the ceiling. Letting the light of the moon illuminate my face, allowing me to see you. I can't help but also think of those adults who are properly the same age as myself; if not older.

They look at us as if we are a disease. Not fit to even be in public, if only they got to know you, then they would know. See how you truly bring happiness to the children, how you make me happy. But no one cares for us and our work. No one has the time anymore to just relax and live life.

"I make you happy as well right, Rukia?"

Silence.

I turn to look at you sleeping peacefully like an angel. And I automatically know that your smiling. If not for me you'd still be in that store, with that man watching you, not knowing where you'd be the next day. I let my eyes rest on you for a moment before I finally let sleep embrace me, only to think of you.

You're my Rukia. My doll. My marionette.

* * *

Me- see told you this one was a freaky one…O.O

I'm sorry! But it just wouldn't let me rest until I wrote it down…so yeah

It's too short in fact this is the shortest thing I've EVER written!

but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not! Hahhaha

Please read and review what you think, and if you have any questions.!


	8. Chapter 8 His mask

Ok I apologize for the last chapter….it was creepy, freaky, odd and down right not right…

But I hope this one will make up for it!

P.S this is for Kimihaine for saying that my drabbles are to die for…thank you!

* * *

It's said that the man she loves is cold, harsh, stoic, unemotional and unfeeling. The youngest shinigami in all of soul society and he is as unemotional as her brother and sometimes even the soutaichou. But she knows, for it wasn't long ago when they fell in love with each other.

She knows the reason why he keeps his mask on. The reason behind those cold and unfeeling emerald eyes of his, she knows all too well the reasons that flow through this world. For everything living with a heart beat, a life, it has a reason.

Rukia lets a smile fall across her pale face as she casts her amethyst eyes to the shrouded grey sky, as a ripple sounds beside her before long she is covered in ice cold rain, crystal diamonds of harsh and unfeeling ice. Rukia lets the smile on her face widen in bitterness.

The raven haired woman lets her arms hang beside her unmoving as the rain drowns her shivers and tremors. Dripping and sticking to her face, the raven locks of her short hair shine dully, the rain fall and caresses her white face bringing a pink tint to her cheeks and the tip of her tiny nose. And yet Rukia makes no move to hold herself, to keep the warmth of her body still in her beating heart.

Too long. For too long has she kept the reasons of all that she sees and understands to herself. Why Ichigo came and saved her so long ago, why she and her friends went against Soul Society to save their friend, why her brother was cold to her, why her family was cruel, everything that she saw with her wide unblinking orbs; Rukia saw.

It was because Ichigo felt as if he needed to save her, because they were friends. It was because the maroon haired girl was a close friend to all of them. It was because she had her sisters face and that her brother just was that kind of man, and it was because no matter how much she was a Kuchiki then; her blood was that of a street rat.

Rukia opened her eyes and cast them to the dark heavens above once more before lowering them to the white tree in front of her, as she stood upon the tiny bridge overlooking a crackling river.

Thinking back Rukia thought of that man who promised her one thing. That man who stole her heart and she his, she told him to promise her one thing before he left to go on a mission three weeks ago.

"_Promise me you'll come back, to me and your child"_ the raven haired woman tightened the hold on her flat stomach as she remembered the look in his green eyes and the brightness in his young face, the flutter of his white hair as he lifted her off her feet and gave her one last passionate kiss before he promised to return.

Those were one of the rare times that he let his mask slip. To let her fully see the real man underneath, the one she fell in love with, the one she married and made love with. And so Rukia stood on the bridge longer, letting the cool rain roughly and slowly wash away her fears, about his return.

* * *

She knew that he would never abandon her, never would he break his promise to her. Letting dark amethyst fall onto the rivulet of the river under her, Rukia slowly moved towards the white tree bending over as if yearning to touch the clear waters it lay over, guarding and protecting just as they had hoped.

When they ran away from Soul Society long ago so very long ago, this was the first thing they did as husband and wife. By planting this white tree that dangles ivory vines and blossomed crystal flowers once a month in the dark of a moonless night, only seen by those with strong even spiritual powers; this was their promise that as long as the tree lived it would be their hope. The place they would return to should they ever fight, ever leave one another for any reason, this was the place they would wait for the other.

And so Rukia waited, three weeks for his return, by leaving he would throw Soul Societies wandering eyes from them and upon his return it would mean they were free for a few more years, before he would throw them off again. For so long Rukia had to keep hold herself strong until his return, she would keep the strong mask she held when they were shinigami, when he was a captain and she a seated officer in a different division.

She would keep the mask she wore when her brother forbid her to marry him, and forbid him to see her cutting them off from each other. She made to remain strong; no matter how much she yearned to cry, no matter how harsh the pulls of her heart tore at her at the many times he left, it was necessary. To keep living together they had to leave Soul Society, the one place that would refuse them to be one. All because of the thought that by marrying a shinigami's will to fight would falter and weaken them. They ran to the real world.

They left behind their friends and family, so many sacrifices just so they could be together; and Rukia wouldn't wish it any other way. And so the raven haired woman let go of her bitter smile, let go of the fear and the worry and let the tears of the sky fall upon her in embraces that would, for now, substitute his hugs.

Lifting her slim ice cold fingers to the white trees trunk Rukia touched her stomach, closed her eyes and thought of all the times they were happy and free, and soon going to be a family. Until the raven haired woman felt a pair of arms wrap around her from the back.

Yet automatically she knew who it was and allowed her mask to fall.

"_Forgive me Rukia, I made you wait for so long"_

" _As long as I know you come back to me, I'll be fine" _leaning down the green eyed man kissed his wife passionately and loving, gazing longingly into the eyes he fell in love with so long ago and still was crazy over. He touched her stomach and beamed as he remembered the news.

"_Soon we really will be a family, Rukia"_ as his raven haired wife kissed his lips, his hold on her tighter and warm, as her body heat became one with his.

"_Yes, my Toushiro soon we're going to be a family"_ and as he turned his gaze to the tree what Rukia saw from the edge of her eyes made her heart tighten and a true smile fall across her face,

His mask was gone.

* * *

Me- so does this make up for the last chapter? I hope so…although I think it's worded a bit oddly….I think it's alright!

Please read and review your thoughts!


	9. Chapter 9 peppermint flavored Kiss

Ok! I'm not sure if this one is going to be another weird one from me but if it is…sorry!

But I thought this might be cute!

Anyway let's get this started! Btw…I got my drivers permit today!! Sorry I'm just super happy I had to say that!

* * *

"Hey Rukia come on!"

"Wait Rangiku! I'm coming! I'm coming!" a black haired woman around the age of twenty walked calmly along the street glancing at her left at the glimmering frozen lake, as she held herself closer, her black winter coat keeping the warmth of her body near her heart. The biting winter wind howled and moaned in her ears; through her plum colored earmuffs and black and white striped hat, tightly hugging her raven locks. With her dark amethyst eyes on the lake she failed to see her strawberry blonde friend sneak up in front of her and slap her face, smashing her pink cheeks together, and her red lips in a large pout.

"Haha Rukia-chan you look like a duck!"

"Stop it Rangiku!" blushing with a laugh the petite woman pushed the other woman's hands from her face, as they continued to walk down the street. Watching from the corner of her purple eyes Rukia saw her best friend walk tall and proud in her faded yellow winter jacket which didn't hide her large chest, her tight red jean pants over her high black boots, to say the least Matsumoto Rangiku was a beauty. As Rukia smiled, yes this tall, proud, most of the time loud, woman beside her might be the most beautiful person ever to cross Rukia's sight, but that didn't change the fact that they were best friends.

"Ne Rukia what happened to that guy Ichigo you were dating?" the large bosomed woman randomly asked out of no where watching the road to her right, as the cars raced by, and the tiny shops that aligned the sidewalk shining like a cluster of candy and toy shops from a Christmas story, one reads to their child every December.

"I broke up with him two months ago Rangiku"

"And Renji?"

"Two years ago"

"Shuuhei?"

"High school"

"And that Byakuya guy?"

"Long ago in junior high Rangiku! Why are you asking me about my love life, you should know all about them" the raven haired woman turned to her friend as the woman, frowned

"Because Rukia-chan you go through guys like their paper! Why can't you have one boyfriend and like him!" the usually bubbly woman wore a serious face, as she turned her gray eyes towards purple.

"Because none of them….well.." she had no answer. Why couldn't she like one man and stay with him?

"You see! I understand Byakuya because of the serious stoicness of his face! But Renji, Shuuhei and Ichigo were hot!" Rangiku held a dreamy look on her face as Rukia sighed

"They just weren't my type I guess…"

"Then what is your type? Hmm you're twenty young, beautiful, and single! Why not date again?"

"Because I refuse to go on blind dates! You know that! Now please lets stop talking about me" the raven haired woman turned her attention to the street before her, as her best friend sighed and walked in silence; giving her time to think.

Why didn't she got back into dating? Sure she did date many guys before, and each time she would tire of them soon after thus breaking up with them but wasn't that natural? Of course if she looked back on it, not one guy liked her for her…nor did she him. So why? They were always the ones to faun over her, lust for her and need her, never did she fall head over heels for one. Never did she feel…in love.

"Rukia"

Why couldn't she find that right guy?

"Rukia"

Was something wrong with her? Had she done something wrong to not find that right guy?

"Rukia"

What was that annoying sound?

"Rukia"

Damn it! There it is again!

"RUKIA! DAMN IT ANSWER ME!"

"Ah! R-Rangiku! Wha-what the hell?!" wide and alert amethyst eyes turned to smoky gray.

"We're here" looking at the store the strawberry blonde brought her to, she smiled

"Thanks I would have really lost my way here"

"No it's okay, but I'm sorry I got to go to work see you soon k?" patting the smaller woman's head like she were a child, Rangiku ran off before Rukia could yell back. Sighing the raven haired woman walked into her favorite shop, which she could never find in all the years of living there. Starbucks.

* * *

"I would like a tall peppermint mocha cappuccino please" Rukia ordered as the person nodded, she moved over to wait at the stand for her drink. Watching the people make the different types of drinks behind the glass window pane, allowing herself to relax as the warm aromas belonging only to Starbuck, wafted through her senses drowning her in soothing pleasure. Suddenly her name was called and without thinking she reached for the cup in front of her, only to meet with another pair of hands.

"Ah I-I'm sorry!" turning to the person quickly Rukia's breath was caught in her throat as the man smiled down at her. His emerald green eyes bright and gleaming,

"No I'm sorry, this was your not mine" taking up his cup that was now finished he was gone, leaving the bell on the door ringing in Rukia's ears.

That night Rukia couldn't get the man out of her head. His striking emerald green eyes, his stark pearl colored hair, his softly copper skin, everything about the man and more Rukia couldn't forget. Even for a moment as she looked at the man, his eyes caught with hers in that instate she remembered everything. The way his large plaid scarf hug around his neck touching the bottom of his chin, his black winter coat, white like snow pants even his dark purple all-star shoes, was burned into Rukia's mind.

"Damn it! What's wrong with me?" sighing the woman combed her slim fingers through her raven hair and looked at the cup on her table and then her hand, still able to feel the instant warmth she had experienced when their fingers touched, Rukia blushed.

"Ahh this is crazy! Why am I even thinking about that guy? It's not like I'll ever see him again!" and with that the woman walked into her bathroom and threw the man from her thoughts. Until the next day when she found herself at the same Starbucks, ordering the same drink, at the same time; in the same place. And so day by day Rukia waited, gradually growing to know the people who made her drinks, and befriending the regular customers but the man never came back. And before long Rukia didn't show up.

"I wonder where Rukia-chan is…" a woman sounded as her co-workers shook their heads

"Probably got tired of waiting for that man"

"Poor girl she's most likely at…" stopping in mid sentence at the ringing of the door bell came in a man with white peal hair, soft copper skin and striking green eyes, holding his plaid scarf close to his lips. And the group of workers knew instantly this was the man Rukia was waiting for.

"I would like a grande peppermint mocha cappuccino please" asked the man as the workers thought on their feet, nodding to each other without words as they silently planned to help their raven haired friend. Grabbing his drink and walking out the door with a thank you, the group could only hoped that their plan would work.

* * *

"Why did I even think he would come back…I'm such an idiot" Rukia scolded herself as she ran her gloved hand through her hair, taking off her hat in the process not knowing a sudden burst of cold wind blow the piece of clothing out of her hands and right at the feet of a stranger.

"Ah I'm sorry for that" Rukia apologized when the person bend over picking up the article from the frozen ground, only then did amethyst eyes see the familiar shoes she once saw before.

"You're the woman from Starbucks I saw a month ago aren't you?" the man asked in a voice that made Rukia's heart flutter like a little girl. Finally looking up into the man's eyes, emerald on amethyst Rukia blushed lightly.

"Yes, and you're the man I saw too" her voice soft and teasing, mentally beaming at the smile the man had on his face.

"I was told to come here"

"Really? By who?" looking confused at the man's sudden odd sentence he took a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket, handing it to her as her face flamed with a blush deep red. "_Be at the park and find a familiar face"_

"I-I didn't…"

"I know it was the people at Starbucks" a smirk on the man's face when a cool wind blew both their hair wildly against the four winds, making Rukia slightly shiver, when the man took Rukia's hat from her hands and placed it on her head.

"Better?"

"M-Much...thanks"

"No problem, my name is Hitsugaya Toushiro and you are?" holding out his hand as Rukia took it with a smile

"Kuchiki Rukia, please to meet yo-…!" suddenly a harsh wind blew from behind the woman pushing her off her feet and onto the man, brushing their lips together for a heartbeat of an instant. Wide emerald green stared into shocked amethyst as Rukia pulled back her face flushed brighter than ever in her life.

"I-I'm so sorry! I…" stopping in mid sentence as a smile and a light blush made there appearance on Toushiro's face

"Hmm not bad" the white haired man smirked as he took another kiss from Rukia's red cheek, "but you might want to ask first Rukia" winking he patted her head affectionately before turning on his heel. Leaving Rukia to watch his fading back, touching her lips softly and not being able to hold her smile back any longer, in the hopes that tomorrow would come so she could see Toushiro again, she thought with a blush

'_He tastes like peppermint_.'

* * *

Me- and there it is!! Hahahah it randomly came to me as I was telling my mom how amazing the winter holiday Starbucks drinks are!

And I'm glad I wrote this man! A part of winter during his burning summer does a person like me (who is obsessed with winter and cold) good!

Please read and review k?


	10. Chapter 10 Beautifully Tragic

Do I need to say?

You know why I write these!

Ps. This is for Iana Sabelle! My Iana-san! For that appreciation part in your speech in the forums! Thank you!

* * *

Was it so long ago? That day we first met, I was in that white room surrounded by ivory and pearl, that was where I saw your black hair for the first time. That raven bob of hair of yours that stood out so well, and those dark amethyst eyes that pierced me; to this day I remember your face so well.

"K-Kuchiki what are you doing here?" Toushiro asked angrily and wearily as the petite shinigami of the thirteenth squad stood by the door not far from the tenth division's captain's bed.

"I was visiting Renji Hitsugaya-taichou, and I thought I'd visit you as well"

"Why?"

"…I just felt like it" what? Why in the world would she ever want to see me? We've never spoken since now, so why?

"You're an odd woman Kuchiki"

"…" glancing at the black clad shinigami from the corner of his eyes, slightly turning from the window to his right Toushiro saw a smile wade along the Kuchiki's face. Finding an odd sensation through out his body at the ever so small smile, that seemed to be so fragile and weak yet….

"Taichou do you mind if I sing?"

Wide eyed at the odd request it really didn't matter to him, he gave a slight grunt still up right Toushiro once again turned his attention from the woman who was now sitting on the chair to his left, when the woman opened her mouth and let out a voice unlike any he ever heard before.

Soft and gentle like a summer's breath on the shores of the bluest sea, under the unbelievable warmth of the sun. And yet strong and passionate like the snow and ice of their zanpakutous' chilling and calm.

A voice inhuman, surreal as he turned to look at the woman her face showed peace and serenity, her black lasses caressing her smooth pale white cheeks, holding herself like a Kuchiki, Rukia poured her heart out in that song; speaking words that he didn't quite understand.

Opening her large glass orbs to stare out of the window, avoiding their eyes to meet once she was done singing, Rukia spoke

"I heard once that music helps heal a wounded person" explaining her reasons behind the singing

"I see, then…I must thank you"

"Excuse me?" now looking at the young captain dark purple clashing with light green, time standing still neither one dared to move and break the spell that was cast. Until a motion of white lasses flickered tearing their gazes apart;

"I want to thank you for the song, it's helped me I think" feeling a bit calmer and relaxed Toushiro laid back down unto his pillows, finally seeing that the anger and frustration of fainting in battle had made its way out if his system; Toushiro turned to Rukia

"You have a beautiful voice Kuchiki"

Wide purple glass slightly turned darker at the tint of pink running along flushed white skin. As the Kuchiki turned to face the wall on her left giving the captain a profile look of her face.

"T-thank you Hitsugaya-taichou, I must get going now" lifting herself up and quickly making her way out of the room, Toushiro called out almost pleading

"Kuchiki! Please…come back tomorrow" his voice hoarse and soft just a above a whisper when the bob of raven nodded, turning to give him a smile with her profiled face closing the door to his room. Toushiro laid back down gently as he replayed the sound of the Kuchiki's voice, drowning in a feeling that was foreign to him and yet…

* * *

The next day you came to me with a smile and a new song when I asked it of you. You were embarrassed at first, the first time I asked you you flat out refused until I told you it was a command , only then did you stick your tongue at me and sang before I could say anything.

And that was how it began. Our odd relationship that sprouted from a morally driven shinigami. The many times you visited me in that white pearly room, it gave me a reason to look forward to the next day; against the fact that many died in the war and that trouble would be the only reality Soul Society would see in a long time, as long as I was in that room with you; it didn't matter to me.

But eventually my wounds healed and I was released, thus ending our meetings and our friendship. Or so I thought

"Kuchiki what are you doing here?!" piercing green looked up from the desk pilled behind sheets of paperwork that seemed to reach the heavens had the ceiling not get in its way.

"Many divisions are short on shinigami because of the war and so I was told to aid a division that would accept me"

"And so you came here"

"Hai"

Sighing Toushiro looked into the cold eyes of the petite woman before him as he scrunched his nose behind his hands that covered his lips, hiding his smirk.

"Sing"

"E-Excuse me?" looking shocked and out of place in that instant Rukia lost her position of a perfect Kuchiki, as she stared at the captain hoping she didn't hear what she thought he said.

"I said sing for me"

"W-why sir?"

"Are you denying my command Kuchiki?" his smirk widening all the more at the flushed face of the raven haired woman, until she caught a glance of his smirk Rukia pouted,

"You're a mean spirit Hitsugaya-taichou"

"And now you're insulting a captain Kuchiki!? I thought you were raised above such acts" sitting back in his large chair no longer hiding his smile, Rukia stuck her tongue out at the white haired boy before closing her eyes and began to sing.

Just like the last time Toushiro realized quickly that it was the same song the woman sang to him, so long ago in that room. And still the song was calm and soft, but this time…it seemed more fragile. Beautiful and serene, automatically calming his nerves and worries; drowning him in emotions that only this woman could make him feel. Bringing to life the feelings that were buried deep within him that day he left the fourth division, feelings that still confused him and felt so foreign and yet…

* * *

And so Rukia worked along side Toushiro, helping here and there within the division and before long their relationship blossomed into strong friendship, and from friendship to love.

Before I knew it that feeling that swelled within me when ever you were near me Rukia, I started to feel it regularly and soon it became normal to me and I realized I loved you. Your dark eyes that would capture me always, your white skin that would flush when we talked alone, your petite body that seemed so small and make me want to hold you close, your black hair that contrasted mine so well, you were everything to me and more.

I wanted you all to myself and I didn't want to lose you….but that day…that day changed everything.

"W-what did you say Rukia?"

"I-I…I'm getting married it's my duty to the Kuchiki clan"

"But why you?! Why not Byakuya!" Toushiro screamed at the woman in their meeting place beside that lake far from Soul Societies reaches and wandering eye.

"Nii-sama is not young anymore….at least not as young as to be wed"

"But…"

"Please Toushiro…" casting her eyes to the ground her raven hair blocking Toushiro's eyes from seeing her face. "Just please…promise me one thing" Rukia said above a whisper the white haired captain straining to hear

"Anything" taking out a white handkerchief with tinted lilac boarders out of the folds of her hakama Rukia placed it into the captain's hand; getting up as if she were weary and broken Rukia turned to leave before calling out to the wind

"Open that handkerchief after the…after my leaving the Kuchiki clan" as strained green watched her fading back.

The next days after that we never saw each other until the wedding invitations were given out to all the captains, with all my being I refused to attend and see you get married to a man that wasn't me; yet it was mandatory of all the Gotei captains and vice-captains. And so I attended and watched as you walk down that aisle, dressed in formal white wedding garments of the noble house; the look on your face still haunts me as you exchange your vows and become husband and wife. Forever out of my reach, I can take it no longer and force my numb body to leave not caring if it seemed insulting; I had to get out.

Clenching my fists so hard I drew blood I suddenly remembered my promise to you and took out your handkerchief with my other hand, skillfully opening it with out two hands my eyes not believing what I saw.

Embroidered within the cloth of fine silk, were words that tear at me till this day as I look out the window that I did so long ago that first time we met so many years ago; a bitter smile on my face as I remember your look at the lake as I look out seeing the top of the Kuchiki manor.

"_When I'm reborn, please promise to marry me."_ You were crying tears that still bleed from my heart; and only now do I understand that song you always sang to me.

* * *

Me- yes yes! I know it's sad and a bit dark but…..that's a thing for me right now….sorry!

But please still read and review!


	11. Chapter 11 Hidden from all

This time I was inspired by my current obsession, which is why I haven't been into Bleach much less HitsuRuki so….sorry about that

But just a heads up this is another sad story….

* * *

In the dark of night no stars shine brightly in the heavens, no silver moon in the sky to guide lost souls. Only humble people sleeping in their beds dreaming of wonders, flying higher then the highest cloud or swimming in the deepest parts of the ocean, but one.

A house with the lights on, voices of harsh words meant to cut deep into the soul are heard through out the empty street, lonely with no light as they echo from house roof to roof.

Two persons scream and aim their words at each other aiming to pierce the other with truths that lay deep within their subconscious. The difference between the truth and the lies the persons cannot tell for only with the other do they hide their true thoughts of the other. And yet as their voice rise, thrashes of ordinary house hold accessories are thrown in anger, slaps echo in hurt and pain through out the house, as the persons continue to aim their words at the other; completely forgetting the child, their child.

As she hides herself in her room, door locked this child of ten holds herself as she presses hard against her ears, trying with all her might to block those words that kill her each and every time. Always would these words that were aimed at the other, be told to her in secret holding them deep within her hiding them from the other. Always would the persons tell her to keep them secret, to never speak of them again; and always that was how she hid them. That was how she could go on pretending that those words, those thoughts, truths and lies in which she saw through her own eyes, were never true.

Until once in a while almost always, those words, thoughts, truths and lies became real. Almost always would the persons fight and speak of the other as they truly saw them and each time the child of ten would hide in her room.

She would hold her head as she forced herself to be silent; quell her whimpers, hide her face and tear stained cheeks. For as long as she remained quiet she could pretend that those words, thoughts, truths and lies that were screamed from down stairs crawling into her room, were nothing but a nightmare.

But like always yet again another morning comes and the house is quiet as always, one person is gone with her things as the other is in his room his music blasting; the smell of alcohol freshly wafting through her nose from under his closed door and their child is alone.

She gets herself up and goes downstairs fully dressed as she heads out the door to school, a small whisper escapes her lips where no one hears.

"I'm leaving mommy, daddy."

* * *

Only once she arrives at school can she act as if those nights never happened. With her friends surrounding her, hearing them laugh and giggle, the child flushes with happiness. Her smiles, and jokes are the perfect mask, blocking the outside world from her own dark and painful one.

Her purple eyes shine with hope for the future as she focuses on her work, as the teachers praise her, her friends hug and pat her. Only in this building filled with people who truly didn't know her, could she be happy. However with each night like before the day after is always short, and she returns to her home.

Dread and passionate pain courses through her body with every step she takes, closer to the house hold of her family, as the same thought drifts into her mind, something after school to make her time at home less. Something she enjoyed and could be happy about, to take her mind off the fact that her mothers car wasn't in the drive way, the cold and empty feeling that would run through her blood when she stepped into the house, and the overwhelming smell of alcohol.

And the child knew she needed something to take this pain away. But soon days would always pass and her mother comes home her face cold and her hair whiter than before, her father comes out of his room wrinkles along his face, a grim line on his lips as the persons stare at each other in disregard before they walk past the other, unspoken words remain locked behind their lips and life slowly returns to normal.

The three share moments of pure bliss and they are a family again, those nights gone as if they never were real; but inevitably those night return and the whole cycle begins again. Before long the child of ten is fourteen and she learns to treasure her time in school every morning the previous night cuts at her memory if she is alone. Over the years she learns to laugh louder to hide her cries, she learns to bury herself in work to block her mind from returning to those nights, she learns to always stare hard at another person to make them look away from her before they saw what she truly hid behind her purple glass eyes; she learns that by staying after school no matter how little people do, does she have more time away from her house and those persons.

Yet no matter how much she learns to hide herself from those nightmares, school matters doesn't hold long and she world is exposed. Leaving her with nothing but to find another way of hiding, and so she joins a team her best friend is on and before she realizes it; the child loves the sport. She loves the sound of the ball against her racket, the air rushing past her as she runs back and forth, the skidding of her shoes against the ground, but most importantly she loves the fact that; as long as she plays on the courts with her friend and teammates her mind his closed to her dark world, and she truly smiles.

Before long the child is accepted into varsity and she can't be more happy, she doesn't tell her mother and father about her new passion and makes the excuse that she is always studying. The only persons who know are her teammates and her best friend but even then the child realizes that happiness is ever short lived. Her best friend is moving far from their city, into another state far from her reach and yet the child smiles and wishes well wishes and farewells; as they are parted and not even her passion can take the pain away.

The night is quiet after another fight and the child cries herself to sleep as she often does, however this time her crystalline tears are no longer just for her family but for her friend, as time passes and with each year one leaves her and she is alone again.

"Why….why do you always have to leave me?! Why?!" she questions herself almost always.

* * *

From fourteen to sixteen the child still hides behind her mask at school, blocks her memories with her passion and hides from her dark world. And for a while her life is of a normal teenager, especially when a boy from her French class confesses he likes her and before long they become boyfriend and girlfriend. Her friends tell her how lucky she is to be able to have him as a boyfriend, with his amazing looks of rare white hair, sharp emerald green eyes and lightly bronzed skin.

She blushes when he kisses her forehead, her heart beats ever faster when their hands are intertwined, her eyes gleam with an emotion that is foreign to her but not shunned whenever he tells her he loves her, and she thinks is this how it feels to be free?

But that thought is quickly washed from her as she also thinks of her family and if they were to ever get closer he would have to meet them, she couldn't have that. She didn't want him to see her world, her lonely and painful darkness, the truth behind her eyes, the real face she hid behind her mask. And so she did the only thing she could do….she ran.

The child ran far from him, away from the pain as she always would. Fully knowing that this time she didn't have anything to hide behind, all she could do was run as fast as she could as her tears shunned her eyes from sight causing her to fall down the grassy hill she would always past home, stopping just from the waters edge, as the child of sixteen laid there clenching fists of grass staining her fingers with mud; her face up towards the crimson and tangerine skies as she laid on her back, no longer able to hold it in any longer the child opens her mouth wide and lets out a cry deep from within her heart, her crystalline tears streak past her clenched eyes and down her ears onto the grass, her face red and puffed her black hair covered in dirt, she continues to cry her soul out no longer held back by the pillow, no longer afraid of the stillness she would always feel after the persons fought, no longer holding it in the child cries like a baby.

Only until she feels a hand cupping her left cheek does the child open her eyes, to see her boyfriend sitting over her a sad smile across his face, as he pulls her up and into his arms holding her close to his chest never wanting to let go. Slowly her whimpers quiet down a bit only to rise in her throat again as she holds them behind her teeth and he tell her words that she has always wanted to hear; more than anything in this world, more than wanting her friends back, more than wanting her mother and father to stop and for them to become a family again.

The child clenches harder onto the white haired boy as he holds her close to his heart, holding her in his lap her black hair bobbing up and down as she cries of heart wrenching pain he whispers to her his words again and again.

"You're not alone, I right here."

* * *

Me- this is dedicated to my parents….although I doubt they'll EVER read fanfictions! Hahahah

But anyway I hope this wasn't to harsh so please read and review! By the way can you tell I put my heart into this?! I think so! Right? -

But I just realized that my stories are getting less and less talkative! it's filled with discripistions...hmmm I wonder if that's a good thing or not hahahah


	12. Chapter 12 Another Sad Story

I've finally reached over 100 reviews in BSM!! Kya! I'm so happy!

Thank everyone so much! And to thank you I'm going to try and make this one-shot not as sad as the others!

I hope….

* * *

"Rukia pay attention!" Kuchiki Byakuya's voice demanded from his daughter as she once again missed a vital note on her piano making the song horrid for a heartbeat.

"I'm sorry father"

"Sorry isn't enough, you must be the best"

"Yes sir" Rukia said as she placed her fingers on the piano keys and played just as her father wanted her to only to miss the same mistake again.

"Enough, go" turning away from Rukia the man left as his daughter walked out of the room only to stomp into her own. Plopping onto the bed as her twin voiced her concern

"What's wrong Rukia?"

"…I hate him"

"..don't say that"

"But he makes me learn the piano, cello and the flute! How in the world can I do all of that!" looking into her twins gentler face Rukia sighed "I'm not mom Hisana, I'm not a musical genius"

"I know Rukia but give it some time and you'll learn to love the instruments just as mom did, then everything will come easier" the kinder Kuchiki daughter reached over to touch her little sisters fingers,

"But you're the older sister! You're suppose to" stopping in mid sentence Rukia covered her mouth looking shocked as Hisana gave her a small smile "I'm so sorry Hisana, I…forgot"

"It's fine Rukia, I don't have a lot of time left anyway so there's no reason to dwell on what can't be fixed"

"Why did you have to inherit moms illness" the younger Kuchiki walked over to sit at the edge of her sisters bed holding her hand.

"It just happened like that Rukia, my weakness shouldn't hold you back"

"But sis…"

"No Rukia, if you can't learn to play at least the flute then I will not forgive you" Hisana's voice strong just like it was before she got sick, making Rukia nod her head

"Alright I'll learn for you and mom" getting up from the bed Rukia walked towards the door

"What about dad?" turning to give her sister a profiled look Rukia took a moment to look pensive before grinning

"Fine, I'll do it for him too" closing the door Hisana smiled

"That girl"

* * *

The next day Rukia ran to her instructors' music room as fast as she could before she would be late. While her father taught her piano, her uncle Juushiro taught her the cello, a private instructor taught her the flute.

As she slammed the door open Rukia quickly bowed low almost at a 90 degree angle, something a Kuchiki was not suppose to do to a lower class but Rukia being Rukia….not a lot of people were lower than her.

"I-I'm so sorry for being late sensei!"

"Rukia its fine" looking up at her instructors voice dark amethyst met with light emerald

"Who…"

"Ah this is Hitsugaya Toshiro a new student from here on, I hope you two get along" the teacher smiled as Toshiro looked at Rukia with a cold stare before going back to cleaning his flute. Earning a glare from Rukia as she made her way to her seat on his left.

'What a jerk'

"Alright today we're going to learn Bach's Gavotte" as the teacher picked up his flute he played a few notes and asked Toushiro to play,

"Yes sir" putting his silver flute to his lips the white haired boy softly blew into the instrument creating a sound that stopped Rukia's blood from where it flowed.

"Good, good that was excellent Hitsugaya-kun and now your turn Rukia" looking at the girl Rukia put her flute to her lips only to blow too hard and squeak a high pitched sound that almost broke everyone's ear drums.

"Enough enough Rukia! Have you been practicing like I told you?"

"I have….a little"

"Why?"

"I have no time with all the other things I have to do!"

"Rukia your father asked me to teach you to play the flute as excellent as your mother, but I can't help you if you can't help yourself"

"….I'm sorry" putting her flute on her lap Rukia looked at her feet as the teacher sighed

"..it's alright, now that that's over we'll still continue with our practice, Rukia pay attention ok?"

"Yes sir" lifting her flute to her lips Rukia did her best to listen to every note that was played by her teacher and the new boy beside her, but if it wasn't one thing it was another to distract the raven haired girl. By the way her sisters voice rang in her head, to the sounds the boy's flute would make, to the way her teacher would reprimand her; Rukia just couldn't pay attention.

"Alright Rukia I have no other choice if you can't pay attention then I'll have to ask you to leave"

"But sensei!"

"No buts Rukia leave" clenching her fists Rukia gathered her things and left as light emerald watched her go in silence.

* * *

Day after day Rukia still missed the similar notes on her piano, strung the wrong stings on her cello, and blew too high on her flute; and Rukia couldn't get why. Her father would send her out, her uncle would always try to avoid teaching her by taking her out to get toys and candy; much to her fathers dislike. And each day Rukia would be kicked out of her music class.

"Why can't I play like that guy" looking at her cased flute as the park water fountain glittered behind her, her sisters voice still in her ears " _my weakness shouldn't hold you back, if you can't learn to play at least the flute then I will not forgive you_" when they were younger some years ago, Hisana had played the flute as well as the piano, cello and the violin…she was the musical genius not Rukia. However when she got sick with the same illness that took their mother, the music was passed onto Rukia. Even when she couldn't play a note.

"Why do you try so much?" a voice suddenly asked the raven haired girl breaking her from her trance. Seeing that it was Hitsugaya Toushiro Rukia's eyes darkened

"What do you want Hitsugaya"

"I asked you a question, why do you try so much"

"What do you mean?"

"You come to class each day and each time you play worse, so why do you still come?"

Wide amethyst eyes stared at light emerald in shock, as she turned her gaze to the empty park in front of her, only with the water fountain sounding keeping the silence away.

"I come because I'm not playing for myself"

"What?"

Turning her eyes to look at Toushiro, and for the first time since they met Rukia gave the white haired boy a smile

"I'm playing for my mom, my dad and….my twin sister" staring at the girl Toushiro remained silent as Rukia sat on the fountain's edge, not fully understanding why she would do such a stupid thing. Music was for personal enjoyment not to be learned because others couldn't, so why was this girl doing it?

"Take out your flute"

"Huh?"

"Take out your flute, don't make me repeat myself" Toushiro took his own instrument out as he sat down besides Rukia who looked at Toushiro like he was crazy

"But why?"

"Are you that slow? I'm going to teach you"

"Eh?! But why?"

"…do you want to learn or not?" this girl was starting to tick him off with all the constant questions, but Toushiro thought….why was he going to teach her? Even he didn't know himself

Taking out her instrument to two worked on their notes for the rest of the day, and oddly as each hour pasted the two grew to bear the other. Before long Rukia and Toushiro would meet at the same fountain each day to practice together and soon Rukia was able to fully play Bach's Gavotte, pure and as beautiful as her mother and sister.

"Thanks Toushiro"

"Huh?"

"For the lesson, don't think you'll be the best for long"

"Is that a threat Rukia?"

"Heh you bet it is" waving in a fare well Rukia ran off to show Hisana. And to tell her more about Toushiro.

* * *

The next day Toushiro noticed that Rukia didn't come to class, earning an odd look from the teacher

"How odd she's probably sick, I'll call her house wait here Hitsugaya-kun" the male teacher moved out of the room to call as Toushiro listened in,

"Oh she already left? So she's not sick? I see alright then thank you" moving out of the back room the teacher came back

"Rukia's not…ah Hitsugaya-kun?! Where did you go?" seeing the room was empty but himself. The door swinging back and forth against the frame.

Toushiro ran to the one place he knew the raven haired girl could be, but he couldn't get why Rukia would skip class. They had practiced for about a month already and the girl was getting along really well, so why? As Toushiro walked in on the empty park nearing the fountain a sound made its way into his ears, and he knew it instantly.

It was Rukia's flute. The song was Gavotte but it wasn't happy like Bach had intended the song to be it sounded…mournful. Making his way to the fountain he spotted the raven haired girl as she sat on the waters edge her eyes closed as she played that song, Toushiro could see she had tear streaks on her cheeks.

"Rukia" the song stopped as misty purple looked up at him and Toushiro walked to her side as calmly as his ride allowed him.

"Why are you crying" he softly demanded as Rukia looked to her silver flute holding it tightly as if it would break if she didn't hold onto it.

"My sister…died last night" Rukia's voice broke at that sentence that was carried on the wind, instantly Toushiro took Rukia into his arms holding her as she broke, her tears falling and staining his shirt, her voice raw and painful as he held her.

"I-I wanted to play Gavotte to her at least on last time!" her voice smothered in his chest as Toushiro held her tightly,

"B-but I-I can't play it right! This song is suppose to be one of happiness! How can I p-play it when H-Hisana is"

"Shhh one day you will be able to play it for her Rukia, one day I promise"

Looking up to Toushiro's eyes Rukia's face flushed with her tears as he wiped her cheek,

"P-please stay with me until then T-Toushiro"

"I will Rukia, I won't leave you" holding her tighter Rukia cried all day, her flute glinting in the sad sun.

* * *

Me-damn it! I made this a sad one again….I tried I really did try to make this as little sad as possible but it just turned out this way!

I'm really sorry! sigh I guess sad stories really are easier for me to write….damn it!

Can someone help me? Give me an idea of a happy ending please! I'm a bit tired of writing sad stories! And please read and review too!


	13. Chapter 13 The Right Choice

Sorry for the long delay! I was really busy with a lot of other things and the fact that I was lazy once again….hahah

Anyway this one is a drabble! Not a one-shot! Yay! And this one isn't going to be a sad one!

And so on with the chapter! And please read and review!

* * *

Left, right, up, square, triangle, triangle, circle, left analog stick! GAME OVER

"No!! damn it!" Rukia screamed as she threw the black controller onto the floor falling on her back

"That makes it what? You 10 wins and me 20 wins?" Toushiro smiled at his best friend placing his controller neatly on the floor turning on his butt to look at the girl who laid on his floor, on her back like a dog wanting her belly scratched

"Shut it Toushiro!" throwing him a dirty look, Rukia sat up and pouted folding her arms over her chest,

"Face it Rukia, you suck at gaming"

"I don't suck! You just have WAY more time then I have to play these dumb games!" the raven haired girl threw up her hands in frustration looking at the television screen the large red blinking words GAME OVER mocking her, she hated losing! And to constantly lose to your best friend who only loved to rub his pride in your face; made the loss all the more bitter.

"Hey I don't have a lot of time, I'm just as busy as you are, I've just got better hand eye coordination" smirking as he got up to sit on the edge of his bed Rukia's back to him,

"I've got great hand eye coordination! I play sports you know!"

"Yeah so do I" turning to the white haired teen Rukia stuck her tongue out at him like a child

"Since when did soccer have **hand** eye coordination?" her smug smile on her face as Toushiro opened his mouth and then closed it, turning his face away in embarrassment "see told you!"

"Shut it Rukia" his green eyes glaring at the petite girl as she got off the floor pillow under her butt and jumped onto Toushiro's bed, making the boy bounce a bit "Rukia get off my bed"

"No, it's comfy" crawling towards the boys pillows the raven haired teen planted her face into the feather like squares instantly smelling Toushiro's favorite shampoo; gingerbread with a touch of peppermint. Rukia smiled

"Rukia! Get off"

"You know Toushiro you always remind me of Christmas" turning over to face the boy still on the edge of his own bed,

"What the hell? Why?"

"Your shampoo, I mean gingerbread and peppermint? It's so Christmas!" still laying on her back Rukia folded her legs as she played with the strings off her red hooded sweater, not seeing Toushiro blush lightly

"What can I say, Christmas is my favorite holiday, what's so bad about smelling like it?"

"Nothing, I think it's cute!" dropping the end strings Rukia cast her eyes towards Toushiro, looking into his green orbs.

"Yeah whatever" holding down his blush with much talent he had ascertained through years of practice, Toushiro crawled over to the girl's right flipping over onto his back and falling onto his pillows beside where Rukia laid. After some time the two of them laying on Toushiro's bed Rukia drifted off into a light cat nap,

"You smell like apples" the boy suddenly said waking the girl up,

"H-huh What?"

"I said you smell like apples with a bit of" taking a light wift of the girl his nose moving a tiny bit almost like a rabbit, "I can't put my finger on it" he said still looking at his white ceiling his hands folded over his chest, his dark blue hooded sweater clashing with Rukia's red one.

"It's rose"

"Rose? Really?" instantly turning his head to look at the girl on his left, their noses touching.

"Gah!"

"Ah!" both jumping back in surprise Rukia stood off the bed as Toushiro fell onto the floor right on his butt,

"Hahahh hahah you dork!" pointing and holding her stomach her blush gone as her normal self shown teasing the smaller yet older boy,

"Shut up Rukia!" getting off the floor Toushiro dusted off his black faded jeans looking up meeting Rukia's gaze, the two automatically blushed. After a minute or two of silence, the boy spoke up

"S-so what do you…." without warning Toushiro's cell phone rang a familiar melody and Rukia instantly knew who was calling; a bad taste entering her mouth. When a flash of green crossed her view she smiled,

"It's okay I'll leave" moving towards the door Rukia was halfway there with her hand on the knob when the white haired boy held her arm,

"Stay, I'll just be a minute" not waiting to see if she would listen Toushiro went to his desk by his window and opened his phone,

"Hey Momo what's up?" Hinamori Momo, a tiny girl of large dark brown eyes and dark brown hair which was always in a bun, nothing much was to the girl she was timid and yet kind, soft spoken and helpful…and she was Toushiro's girlfriend.

Rukia rolled her tongue playing with her striped shorts pocket, feeling like a third wheel as her best friend was talking to his girlfriend, the raven haired girl had half a mind to just up and leave without his noticing; but something in his eyes when he asked her to stay kept her feet planted.

Just when she figured she had waited long enough Toushiro hung up with a sigh,

"What's up?" Rukia asked her voice hard as it would always be after the boy talked to the brunette during their hang out times. She would never hear a word of their conversation but she was sure that it was over a hundred times the girl, had called during their together time; and it was getting annoying to have to cut their time short each time.

"She wants me to go to her house to hang with her" the boy said to the floor, his hands deep in his pockets.

"Yeah I get it, she's your girlfriend after all; I'll show myself out, later Toushiro" quickly turning her hand on the door knob Rukia was halfway done opening the door before she felt her arm being held, once again.

"I said you don't have to leave Rukia"

"I don't really want to hang by **myself** in **your** house, while **you** hang out with your girlfriend at **her** house" straining on some words making sure to get her point across she was getting pissed off, Toushiro held fast.

"Who said you were going to hang out by yourself?"

"Huh?" looking at the smirking teen, Toushiro let go of the girl

"I told her today I wasn't going to be able to hang with her whatsoever, cause I'm with someone more important"

"You told her that?!" shock well written all over her face, dark purple eyes wide

"Yeah"

"How did she take it?"

"Heh she broke up with me" he stated in his regular voice showing no signs of sadness at the dump,

"What? But you like her don't you? Why would you do something like that Toushiro?" hitting the boy on the head,

"Ow! What the hell Rukia!"

"Go call her back and tell her you want to get back with her!" otherwise her guilt would eat her alive

"Why?" his question took her by surprise

"W-what? Don't you want to get back with her? I mean you've liked her for how long?"

"I liked her but I don't anymore, in fact I was meaning to dump her for a while but this works out just as good" the white haired boy said making his way towards the floor pillows in front of his playstation2 and wide screen TV.

"Why? I thought she was your dream girl"

"I thought that too but turns out I was wrong" smiling Toushiro turned to look at Rukia from across the room "besides now we can hang out as long as we want, no more interruptions" making her way towards her best friend Rukia hugged the boy

"You're the greatest Toushiro! Now that your no longer dating that girl I can finally say, I never liked her anyway"

"I know, the way you'd withdraw and go emo whenever her name was even brought up was an easy give away" he smiled returning the hug with a light squeeze

"I don't go emo!" letting go of the boy pouting his smile gaining space on his face

"Yeah you do, now shut up! And lets play!" picking up the controller the green eyed boy turned the game on as Rukia beamed

"Alright! Be prepared Toushiro! I'm going to beat your Asian butt!"

"Ha that'll be the day, if anyone's going to beat an Asian butt it'll be me beating yours!" as the two laughed the game restarting, Toushiro glanced over to Rukia stealing a moment and knew; from the way the raven haired girl was beaming he was sure he had done the right thing. Rukia was indeed the right choice, and it wasn't until now did he figure that out.

* * *

Me- hahah how was it? Good ne? it was in my head for a while but I changed a few things but none the less it wasn't a sad one!

Although the Hinamori thing does annoy me a bit, I'm glad Toushiro dumped her for Rukia! hahah its how it SHOULD be am I right?

Please read and review too!


	14. Chapter 14 Dirt Hills

Hi again! Last chapter was the least amount of reviews I ever got…

It's still a bit sad to think about really and it wasn't even a sad story!

But hopefully this time it'll be different!

* * *

"Hey your new here huh?" a girl's voice called out towards a tiny boy just her age, sitting on the porch of his house alone.

"Huh? Uh yeah, I just moved here" "Cool! I'm Rukia, what's your name?" the tiny girl strolled over towards the boy jumping onto the porch, in the end sitting beside the kid who in turn looked at her like she were an alien.

"Toushiro"

"Hi there!" placing her hand out with a bright smile on her face, beaming with a light tint over her plump cheeks, her raven colored bang covering most of her petite face.

Looking at the girls hand in suspicion Toushiro remained to himself not moving to take the girls hand when she opened her eyes in question,

"It's called a handshake"

"I know what it is"

"Then why don't you take it? I'm not dirty"

"…I can't talk to strangers"

Wide dark purple orbs stared in amusement before bursting into laughter! Making the boy flush red in embarrassment.

"W-what's so funny!?" holding his tiny child like arms across his chest

"I'm not a stranger stupid!"

"Yeah you are! We don't know each other!"

"No, you know my name and I know yours! That means we're not strangers" smiling like the child prodigy she wasn't, Rukia gave a smirk to the white haired boy; who looked away.

"Fine we're not strangers…."

"Then take my hand" holding out her hand once more, Rukia brought on her smile again this time Toushiro stared for a moment just to be a brat before taking it with a shake. Thus the start of their odd friendship, that would be the backbone of their relationship into future years.

* * *

"Hey Toushiro!" running to her best friend Rukia now only six, two years after meeting said boy; the two had become inseparable.

"Yo Rukia, what's up?" smiling at his friend, Toushiro sat on his porch waiting for the girl to come up to him and tackle him to the ground in a bear hug, with strength that would take him by surprise every time.

"I found this really great super high hill with lots of dirt! Its prefect to play on!"

"Awesome let's go!" jumping up and pushing away his books and toys, the boy ran with the girl hand in hand towards the hill. Laughing and smiling all the way there.

"Is this it?" Toushiro gasped out looking at the large hills of dry dirt, millions upon millions of hills for him and Rukia to play on! It was a dream for any six year old.

"Yup! Told you they were super high!" breaking her gaze from the hills Rukia let her purple eyes clash with bright lime green. They were going to have a ball.

"Race ya!" flashing a wink Toushiro ran towards the piles of dirt as Rukia yelled back at him

"You cheater! Come back here Toushiro!" running after the boy, the two played in childhood bliss completely forgetting the world around them.

The only ones in their world were the both of them and only them, running after the other in tag. Hiding behind each and every pile of dirt in hide and seek, making the other one find the other through noises and no eyes in catch the rabbit. They had dirtied them selves so much their once white clothes were dyed brown and green. Their mothers weren't going to be happy.

"Hey Rukia I think we have to get home now! It's getting late!" looking at the sky and seeing that the sun was a long while past the mid horizon, the boy knew from his books that they were going to be really late to dinner if they didn't hurry home. And an angry mommy wasn't pretty.

"Hey Rukia did you hear me! Lets go!" looking around when all he got was silence, Toushiro was starting to worry. From the pile of dirt he had climbed earlier, Toushiro stood up to see if he could see any form of Rukia's little raven head. Only when he didn't did the boy start to really panic.

"Rukia where are you! Answer me!" fear for the worse had risen in his normally sangfroid eyes, he had read what could happen to child when they weren't with an adult, they were kidnapped and taken away from their families and friends and never seen again.

Oh god! What if Rukia…… "RUKIA ANSWER ME PLEASE!"

"T-Toushiro!" he had heard it! H-her voice! That was Rukia's voice!

"Rukia where are you!" looking over all the hills he could see from his short height, the boy still couldn't make out a raven head.

"Here! M-my leg is stuck in this hole! Help me Toushiro!" calling out to the boy he ran towards where he hoped his best friend was, upon arriving he was beyond words to see the girl was there; and not kidnapped or worse.

"Rukia, thank goodness! Here stay still I'll get you out!" careful where he walked, Toushiro took a good look at the petite girl's foot in the collapsed hole of dirt and took hold of her leg, "Alright I'm going to pull it out on three okay!"

"Yeah" nodding Rukia braced herself for the pain, that in an instant shot through her leg automatically once it was out.

Never did Toushiro hear such a heart wrenching sound.

* * *

"How are you holding up Rukia?" Toushiro asked as he carried his best friend on his back, after tying her angle in a bandage or his now ripped shirt.

"It hurts but I can deal with it. Thanks for saving me Toushiro" tightening her hold on the boy placing her nose into the crock of his neck, Rukia failed to realized a heat form on the white haired boy's face.

"I just did what I've read to do, nothing special"

"Don't be like that, if it weren't for you I don't know what'd I'd be doing right now…probably crying my eyes out still stuck in that hole"

"You cry? Wow! Now that'd be a sight!"

"That's mean Toushiro! I would cry just like you would!"

"Me cry?! Now there you have it wrong Rukia, I wouldn't cry"

"Liar" poking her friend in the cheek causing him to turn his face the other way,

"Stop that unless you want me to drop you"

"You wouldn't do that" her voice thick with tease, bring a blush to the poor boys face once more.

"Try it again and we'll see" he threaten with a smirk bringing a blush to the girls cheeks…of course he would never do such a thing to anyone much less Rukia but it was still fun to tease the teaser.

"….you're a mean person Toushiro" sticking her tongue out as if to reprimand him, Rukia placed her chin on the boys head.

Suddenly he got a bad feeling. "What are you doing Rukia?"

"Nooothing" once the word left her smirking lips, she slammed her head onto the boys head.

"Ow!! Rukia!" moving his head away his hands almost slipping from under Rukia,

"Ahh! Toushiro I'm going to fall!" grabbing at what she could she pulled on the boys hair causing the boy to yell

"Ahhh! Ow ow ow ow ow! Let go let go let GO!"

"Then don't drop me!" both regaining their posture, Toushiro stood still for a moment as Rukia held on tight but not too hard to cause Toushiro to 'freak out' again.

"That was too dangerous Toushiro!"

"You pulled on my hair!"

"You threaten to drop me!"

"You…got your foot stuck!" lame…..

"Yeah that was all my fault!" pouting the girl sat in Toushiro's arms as they continued home. Soon silence engulfed them as the sky turned light pink

* * *

"Hey Rukia are you awake?" looking back at the silent girl on his back, he felt her shift a little "Rukia?"

"M-my angle hurts a bit"

"You want me to put you down?"

"No, it's okay we have to get back home"

"Yeah, right!" heading onward the silence that filled them was almost unbearable as Toushiro tried to get the girl talking. "Today was really fun, except your angle thing"

"Heh heh yeah, I don't think my parents will let me go out for a while"

"But they won't be too angry right?"

"…I don't know, my daddy is really mean.. but if my mommy is there then he'll be nice!…I don't think he likes me like he likes my mommy though" the girl softly spoke into the boy's neck

"Don't say that, your daddy loves you"

"Toushiro's lucky to have a nice mommy and daddy"

"Rukia too"

"Maybe…." hiding her face in his dirty collar she lightly clenched her small fists, when she felt the boy under her stop in his tracks.

"T-Toushiro?"

"Don't talk like that again got that Rukia?"

"…."

"Got it?!" anger was evident in his voice, shocking the raven haired girl for rarely did he ever raise his voice to her.

"Why does it anger you so much Toushiro?"

"…Because if you give up then how can….?" murmuring the last part too low that even Rukia couldn't hear him.

"What did you say Toushiro?"

"I said…if you give up then how can I save you!" flushed deep red with blush the white haired boy looked forward, home was just ahead.

"Save me? H-how?"

"If you give up then I can't save you because then it wouldn't be fun"

"You see saving me as fun!" practically screaming with an equal blush along her face for reasons different to Toushiro's

"Well it's a lot better then you being sad!" making his point Rukia got silent. Only to tighten her hold on the boys neck, moving her face into his neck "R-Rukia?"

"Just shut up and go on, so I don't get sad and boring for you to save" pouting her smiled, unknown to her that Toushiro smiled just as well.

"Whatever you say loser."

* * *

Me- please read and review!!

Please! Last time all I got was 2 reviews!! That was so sad! I mean really!


	15. Chapter 15 Against all Odds

Yo! I'm back!!!!! Heheh and I've got a good one here today!

Enjoy k?

* * *

"How horrible, such a father to push his son so" a woman murmured to her friend as the elderly women watched a white haired boy of sixteen closed his violin case, his father talking to the teacher with a stern face on his young face.

"I hear the mother died and now the father blames his son!" a woman spoke softly to her friends

"No, why would the father blame is son if he was paying for his lessons?" the third woman asked

"He's been taking the class for ten years, the boy's been called a child prodigy but still the father never smiles nor praises him" the first woman answered as they watched the man and the boy walk out of the music department, both faces emotionless.

"You are to practice three hours longer than regularly" the father said to his son not looking at the boy but almost striding to get away from him.

"But father! I already practice six hours each day!" the boy responded, instantly regretting his words

"Are you denying my word Toushiro!"

"N-no father…." Toushiro looked down to the ground hiding his face under his white hair, as the man turned around to continue walking.

So many times he has hears great things about his father, Hitsugaya Sousuke greatest man in Japan for bringing 75,000 dollars to Japan's international trading routes just last year, the best man with the greatest smile, the wisest eyes and perfect personality; what a lie.

Yes his father was all of that but behind their house doors, the man was cold. He would force Toushiro to practice the violin a thousand times over and another thousand times again. He would never let him go out with his friends, hang out on the weekends, eat the foods he wanted, dress like a normal teenager, or even date! He was a dictator!

And Toushiro was sick of it! So many times he would try to talk back, to rebel and say no! but each time the brown haired man would look at him with those piercing brown eyes of his, and instantly Toushiro lost his nerve. It wasn't that he was nervous or scared of his own father, hell no!

Then what was it?…Toushiro looked out his bed room window as he sat in his chair his violin on his lap, silent. What was it that always stopped him from speaking up against his father?

"…Mother" yes. That's what always stopped him, the memory of his mother Hitsugaya Hinamori Momo, when they were a family his father was never like this, cold, unfeeling, a slave driver! It was before she died of her illness she once told him,

"_Take care of your father for me, Toushiro_" he was never the kind of guy to fall back on his promises, no matter what but….how much longer could he take?!

* * *

"I'm going to class father"

"Be ready to play for the same amount of hours I gave you yesterday, Toushiro" his fathers voice called out from the kitchen readying himself to work as the teen closed the door without replying.

Walking towards the music department his instrument over his shoulder suddenly the teen stopped dead in his tracks and smirked feeling oddly really rebellious, and looking both ways Toushiro stole from his usual path and headed towards the mall, he was going to play hooky. After all what harm would come from that right?

Sure with his father never letting him out of the house, Toushiro wasn't completely wet behind the ears, he knew what a mall was, the vast amounts of people, the stores and such but since the last time he came there had been so much that changed!

"How much did they add? This place is like a castle!" his bright green eyes wide when out of the yelling people of the mall he heard music. However this was no music he had heard before, this was…loud, obnoxious, dark and yet catchy. Seeing the store which let the music blast from its domain, Toushiro took one look at the place and his interest was peaked.

Walking in he found to his amusement that along with the booming music the store matched it all too well! It was a music store for the dark, kids his age were walking and talking with their friends listening to music, looking at CDs Toushiro felt like a sore thumb, here he was walking in alone dressed in a mint green polo shirt, white slacks that matched his shoes and white hair, holding a large instrument case over his shoulder, had it been a guitar then maybe the embarrassment wouldn't be as bad, unfortunately it was far from such a thing.

Closing his eyes to block the heat spreading to his face, the teen had somehow walked to the back of the store, where he was interrupted rather rudely.

"What do we have here? A prissy nerd?" a girl's voice scoffed as he opened his eyes clashing with dark purple.

"P-prissy nerd? Me?" pointing to his chest the girl smirked

"Of course prissy, you're the only one I'm talking too" the girl sat up from behind the check out desk, letting Toushiro get a good look at her, she had the blackest hair in the oddest shape he had ever seen, along with an angular yet cute white face with large dark purple eyes surrounded by red eye glitter, her body was petite under that black tank top with amethyst lace falling from her shoulders, her pale neck covered in a velvet black chocker with a white sword charm freely dangling.

"Shut up!"

"Oh! Prissy has a back bone, interesting" the girl's purple lips widening in a smile

"I have a name, it's not prissy!" walking up to the girl, Toushiro was pissed, who was this girl and who gave her the gall to call him prissy?!

"Oh? And what might that be prissy?"

"Hitsugaya Toushiro, although I doubt an imbecile like you would be able to remember that" the violinist back talked quite smugly, the girl's eyes widen

"Heh is that all you can say in return prissy?"

"No, but I'm not going to stoop down to your level" crossing his arms, the best he could do with his violin in one hand, the girl's eyes followed it.

"Oh so your not just a guy who dresses like a prissy nerd but the classical asses kind"

"What is wrong with you?! I come in and you start bagging on me the first thing, aren't you a worker here?" Toushiro took this time to look at her name tag, when she covered herself rashly

"Pervert! How dare you look at my chest!"

"W-what?!"

"Don't deny it, your eyes were completely glued to my chest!" her face red with a blush, he would have begged for her forgiveness had he not caught that glint in her eyes,

"You know I was looking at your name tag, or if your so conscious about such a thing why where the tag on your chest!"

"That's none of your business prissy pervert!"

"You know forget this!" turning around with a scowl on his face "forget you!" Toushiro stomped out of the store clenching his fists, his face flushed red with blush, never has such a person talked to him like that! He was no one high to be spoken to like his father but damn it! Being called a priss was bad enough but being called a pervert when he had done nothing was even worse! And by a complete stranger none the less.

"Stupid girl!" he was sure to never go back! And Hitsugaya Toushiro was never one to break his promises, but another was just the same as he.

* * *

His father had found out.

"You little! How dare you skip your practice!"

"I-I'm sorry father"

"Sorry isn't enough! Do you know how much I pay for those classes of yours!"

"Yes sir"

"If so then why skip?! I lost a thousand dollars today because of you! Kuchiki Byakuya is not a cheap teacher I can get off the streets Toushiro!"

"I know that father!"

"Then why did you skip!"

"I-"

"Yes?" the man crossed his arms tighter over his suit tapping his foot impatiently

"Never mind"

"Tell me now Toushiro!"

"I-" if he did tell his father where he went, he was sure the man would kill him on the spot or worse! And he didn't want to know what that worse opinion was. In the end Toushiro stood silent

"Are you going to tell me!?"

"…No sir"

"You little!" instantly Toushiro felt a burning sensation on his left cheek, and a pain on his rear; "I forbid you to leave this house anymore! You ungrateful brat!"

"…"

Walking away Sousuke cursed as he started up the stairs, leaving Toushiro on the floor where he had fallen after the slap to his face.

"Bastard….that bastard" cursing under his breath Toushiro clenched his eyes trying to will the tears away as they continued to fall from his round face. He had tried, he really did! To keep his promise with his mother for six years he had kept with his father to keep the promise he had made with his mother, but this! This was too much! He was so sick and tired of being blamed for his mothers death by his abusive father! This had to end!

Ppicking himself up, Toushiro ran out of the cold house he couldn't call home anymore and just ran as fast as his legs could take him.

He didn't care where he was going, he just had to get out of that hell hole!

"Please forgive me mother!"

* * *

"Rukia close up alright!" the store manager called from the front of the room the mall already getting dark with all the shops closing.

"I got it!" hearing the door ring signaling her manager leaving, Rukia went to the back of the shop and got her things when another ring signaling the door, the purple eyed girl looked up curiously, '_maybe Yoruichi-san left something' _getting up and closing the 'employs only' door locking it. Rukia began to walk towards the front

"Did you forget something Yorui- y-you!"

"…"

"What the hell are you doing here! At this time! Don't you know we're closed prissy!"

"P-please forgive me, but please"

"Huh?"

"D-don't make me go back home" Toushiro looked like a bloody mess! His hair all messed up and disheveled, his shirt all smeared with sweat, his white shoes and trousers stained with mud and dirt. And standing there at the door his chest heaving a hard flush on his face, Rukia couldn't help but feel for the guy.

"What do you want me to do?" why did he come here?

"Uhh-…" he hadn't thought about that! As he was running his mind had no idea where to go, and before he knew where he was heading he was already standing in the door way of the store he had visited earlier that day; the same one he swore never to return too. Heh, today was just a day where he broke all his promises, wasn't it?

"…come on!" walking towards the boy, Rukia grabbed the kids arm and lead him out of the store waiting for her to turn off the lights and lock up,

"W-where are we going?"

"My apartment"

"You have an apartment?!" impossible! This girl couldn't be an age older than himself! And he was only sixteen! Eighteen was the legal age for a child to live on their own, so how in the world!

"Not here" not speaking anymore, Rukia lead the boy towards the bus and the rest of the ride to her apartment, was filled with an anxious silence; neither of them wanted to break.

"Here it is, it's small but it's home" Rukia smiled the smell of her favorite aroma wafting into her nose,

"What is that smell?"

"It's Lil' Angel, my mom used to smell like it"

"Where is she?"

"…She's dead"

"I'm sorry" so she was just like him,

"No problem, sit down"

"Thank you" sitting down on a small couch in the middle of an equally small one room apartment,

"It's cool, prissy"

"Damn it! My name's not prissy!"

"Oh right" walking into the open kitchen, Rukia poured them a glass of water, "it's prissy Toushiro, right?"

"Shut up" turning away, to face the widow outside, Toushiro didn't understand why his face was hot and why he liked the sound of his name on the goth girl's purple lips.

"That's no way to talk to a person who took you in" she was right, he had to admit but refused to do to those glints in her amethyst orbs.

"Tch, sorry…."

"It's cool" soon silence once again filled the room, when Toushiro couldn't help ask

"How is it that you have an apartment? Isn't your dad worried?"

"Heh like hell he is, since my mom died, all he cares about is his job as a top music teacher"

"Music teacher?"

"Yeah, he teaches piano, flute, cello, and violin"

"Is his name Kuchiki Byakuya by any chance?"

"Eh? How do you know my dad's name?"

"N-no way!" looking like a deer in headlights, Toushiro couldn't believe that his always strict stick up his butt no sense of humor of a teacher was this goth girl's dad!

"What? How do you know him?"

"He's my music teacher, my father hired him to teach me violin"

"No way! That's wicked!" grinning Rukia laughed, "that's just plain creepy!"

"Tell me about it, you look nothing like your father!"

Instantly Rukia stopped laughing, "why do you think I dress like this?!"

"H-huh?"

"I hate that man! Other than my hair and eyes, I look just like my father and I hate every bit of it!"

"Why?"

"Because when my mom died, he completely forgot I existed! The only thing I could do to get his attention was to dress the complete opposite of his likings! When he told me to take it all off and never touch this 'garbage' again I left screaming at him at how much I hated his guts"

"…And this was how you stared living on your own?"

"Yeah, my uncle Juushiro helped me find the place and make it feel like home, he's the only family I feel like I've got…"

"…I know how you feel" he truly did, she was the exact same as he. It's just that his father cared too much it made him sick while her's didn't at all and it made her hateful.

"How?"

"When my mother died I was ten, she told me to keep watch over my father in her place, I never go back on my words as a man she taught me that; when we were a family I knew I could care for my father, but when she finally was gone my father changed"

"How?" the look in her amethyst orbs understanding and beautiful.

"He made me take violin an instrument my mother loved, but knew that I didn't, he forced me to play day after day until my fingers bleed, he would punish me if I ever disobeyed him…I don't even have friends or a normal teenage life because of him"

"I'm sorry"

"Huh?" looking up from his fists, Toushiro didn't expect to see the normally dark and nonchalant girl he knew and thought she was, to be almost in tears. Almost.

"I called you a priss because of your clothes and thought you were some rich classical tight ass kind of guy"

"No harm done, I admit I thought you were some goth punk bitch who had nothing but a foul mouth and a horrible sense of humor"

"Heh heh, looks like we're not so different after all Toushiro" smiling a true smile, her eyes glittering besides flakes of sparkling red against her already beautiful amethyst orbs.

"No, no we're not Rukia; I'm kind of glad I met you"

"Me too" they shared a smile when Rukia told him something that made the boy blush "you can sleep here tonight if you want"

"I-I can?"

"Yeah, after hearing your story I'm not going to let you go back to your dad!"

"But!"

"Do you want to go back?"

"Never! I actually want to move out"

"Why don't you?"

"I don't have anywhere to go, I have scholarship money from contests I've won wuth the violin but no where to use it"

"Hmm why not stay here?"

"What!?"

"We're practically the same Toushiro, you're running from your dad just as I am, both our moms are gone and the only people we feel comfortable around is with each other"

"But! Is it even legal? For two sixteen runaways to live together?"

"Whose going to know?" she had a point…maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Just maybe….

"Alright, I'll do it! Tomorrow when my father goes to work I'll sneak in and bring all I need to come live here"

"Sweet! Trust me you won't miss a thing back at that house"

"I don't think I will, I never did while I lived there" grinning at each other in complete understanding and content, Rukia and Toushiro stood against all odds if they chose to live together, but somehow they didn't care.

Why should they? On their own they stood against their fathers, who knows what they could do together.

* * *

"Sleep well tonight Toushiro we've got stuff to do tomorrow"

"What stuff? Getting my things isn't going to take long"

"That's not what I meant"

"Huh?"

"Tomorrow you're getting an earring!"

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

* * *

Me- my goodness! This was the longest one-shot I've written!

I really hope it wasn't too sad! Or oddly put together!

Please read and review!


	16. Chapter 16 Comforting Kuchiki

Too long….. Its been since I was last here huh?

A random drabble this time….

Hope you like it!

* * *

It was the night before the new year and Matsumoto was once again trying to pursued me into going to a party she had thrown together with Abarai, Yumichika and Madarame. How they can continue to survive and withstand her drunken state is always something I could never understand,

Finishing up with the last of my paperwork I was once again interrupted by my lieutenant.

"Come on taichou! Please come to the party!!! It's new years! It'll be fun!"

"No Matsumoto"

"Then how about think of it as a celebratory occasion to Soul Societies win over the war with Aizen!"

"I still say no"

"But taichou!"

"That's enough Matsumoto! I'm not going and that's final!"

"Fine! You're such a party pooper taichou!" and running out of the room before I could yell at her again for calling me names, I was left alone.

Was it so bad that I wanted to be alone? Tch she should know me by now I don't go to parties.

Growling with a frown on his face Hitsugaya cursed at the fact that he could no longer concentrate on his work and with a sigh he decided a little time out of the office would do him some good. Making his way out of his division the tiny captain searched his memory for a place that would help him calm down,

"Moon Gleam Lake" a whisper on his lips and off he shunpoed, Moon Gleam Lake was the only lake in Soul Society that wasn't surrounded or near a town or district but completely isolated by a thick forest that ran itself like a maze. It was called thus since only at night did the lake shine and gleam. And it was one of the places that Hitsugaya took pride in the fact that he was one of the few who had knew of it, others didn't know because they didn't know the lake existed.

Shortly after his departure Hitsugaya had arrived at the said destination and was quite happy at the fact that he was the only one there, of course most if not all of Soul Society was out partying. Making his way to the edge of the lake, the young white haired captain sat down and closed his eyes to the silence he loved.

Soon before he knew it, his consciousness fell and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It wasn't as if I didn't want to go but I couldn't.

"Sorry Renji but I can't go I have too much work to do before morning"

"Don't be like that Rukia, come on!"

"No, Ukitake-taichou put a lot of trust in me as his lieutenant to get these papers in, I'm not going to let him down"

"Tch, fine I get it"

"Maybe some other day we can hang out"

"Yeah sure, later"

"Later" watching his back shunpo away towards the new years party I couldn't help but feel a bit sad that I was going to miss it, but like I said my taichou gave me his trust and I won't let him down.

And so Rukia worked diligently until the last piece of paper was signed and ready to be sent out the nest morning, sighing at her good work a smile crept onto her face at the proud smile her taichou would give her, but looking out at her desk beside her captains larger one Rukia thought

"Maybe I still have enough time to make it to the party" turning to see the clock on the wall she had plenty of time, new years was still hours away.

Closing the door behind her Rukia shunpoed towards the party destination Renji had given her earlier, just a few minutes after her leaving Rukia was quickly closing the gap of her division quarters and the party when a light sense of an oddly familiar reiatsu reached her. Stopping the petite shinigami on the roof of a house, looking out for the source the girl saw that it was coming from a place far from her destination but curiosity got the better of her and soon Rukia was off in the direction west of the party.

Upon arriving Rukia saw a scene like no other, isolated by a thick fog of forest trees lay a glittering lake of shining ice blue water the moon in its mouth, wavering to and fro, the silence that fell over the lake was unlike anything the petite girl had heard it was an overly oppressive loneliness and yet a sense of calm and peace like no other.

"Where am I?" suddenly a movement to the right of the edge of her orbs took her attention and then just as fast a weight pushed her to the ground under her feet.

* * *

Sleep had never been so kind to him as it had that moment before the sudden surge of reiatsu ran and pulsed through his body waking him instantly, years of intense training and simple reflex had him moving before his mind could follow and a fellow shinigami under him.

"Who are you!"

"K-Kuchiki Rukia, Hitsugaya-taichou!"

"Hmm? Kuchiki?" staring into deep purple that he had only seen on one person, the young captain realized it was Kuchiki Rukia he had attacked and had pinned.

"Um taichou could you get up?" blushing a little at their position, Rukia saw a light form of a shade of pink to the captains face but just as soon as it had come it was gone, as well as the weight of the younger boy.

"What are you doing here Kuchiki?" walking over to the edge of the lake Hitsugaya avoided looking at the older girl, even though his face was clear of any form of blush.

"I was on my way to a new years party when I felt reiatsu over here, I thought it might be someone in need of help since this place is far from Soul Society" that wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either. If she told him she got curious she knew in a heart beat the captain would scold her about being too impulsive and could have been killed by a creature or something.

Still with his back turned, the only movement the girl got was a nod of stark white hair, then silence…….awkward silence.

"Umm taichou may I ask why you were out here?"

"I needed silence" quick to realize that was a 'go away' from the captain Rukia took it to heart and bowed

"Then I'll leave you, excuse me" turning on her heel the petite shinigami was about to leave when

"I never said that Kuchiki"

"H-hai?"

"Leave or stay its your choice, I'm not your captain" falling back the white haired boy once again sat down, after a few seconds of silence he heard footsteps and then a ruffle of clothing. She choose to stay.

* * *

Why did I stay? This is Hitsugaya-taichou…all he wants is peace and quiet, not that I can't do that but why did I have to stay when I don't need to? Rukia couldn't put her finger on the reason but somehow it seemed as if a light hand was pulling her towards the cold captain, making her sit beside him rather than far from him.

Of course just as she was thinking this the latter of her thoughts was thinking the same.

Why did I say that? She has no purpose here and there's nothing I have to say to her so why in the hell did I? besides we're not even friends and have hardly spoken to each other, trying to make sense of the random urge to tell her to not leave Hitsugaya and Rukia had once again developed an awkward silence the both of them were too engrossed to acknowledge. When

Rukia was over come with an urge to fill this quietness with something,

"Hitsugaya-taichou if you look up I think that's the 'Big C-D-S-Sipper' I once saw in Ichigo's text book"

"What?" turning to look at the raven head pointing up at the sky, he turned his eyes to the stars with question

"The Big Sipper is a bunch of stars that helped people escape from a- a….."

"A what?" damn curiosity.

"Heheh I forgot" an lop sided smile fell on the girls face and another urge filled Hitsugaya, an urge to face palm.

"And what is the point you bringing this up, Kuchiki?"

"Well I- just thought you'd want- well…I don't really know actually"

A sigh was let out from the young captain's lips "I never thought you'd be this odd Kuchiki"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"…." not knowing how to answer Hitsugaya stayed quiet. Gaining a smile from the girl.

"And that one beside it is the Little Sipper" pointing at the cluster of stars, Hitsugaya felt his eyes look up

"I don't see it"

"It's right there, by the handle of the bigger one"

"I still don't-"

"Here let me" getting up Rukia sat behind Hitsugaya and gently for as if it were her sworn duty to make the captain see the stars, placed her hands on the side of the latter's head

"Kuchiki-!"

"Look up right there!" placing her head beside the captain's she missed a light blush on the boy's face. "Do you see it Hitsugaya-taichou?"

"Y-yeah" sort of.

"I don't remember what that little one was for but I thought since I told you about the bigger one you'd care for the other one"

"Thanks Kuchiki"

"E-eh?" did he just say thank you to her?! Hitsugaya Toushiro thanking Kuchiki Rukia?! But Hitsugaya Toushiro never thanks anyone unless called for.

"I said thanks" his voice high in an light annoyance

"R-right" slowly making her way back to her seat suddenly Rukia felt a pull at her sleeve, "Hitsuga-"

"Stay…"

"E-eh?"

"Don't make me repeat myself Kuchiki" looking at the young captain sitting with his back towards her Rukia let her eyes linger on his sign, 10.

Heh although he tries to be older and cold to everyone he's still just a little kid…

"Okay, Hitsugaya" a smile reached his face, just the same with Rukia. "And over there is called the Lion, and the twins and-" Rukia went on and on not noticing the smile on the boy's face. He didn't know why he wanted the girl to sit close to him, just that she was an odd person…but also comforting.

Yeah that was it, Kuchiki Rukia was comforting.

* * *

Me- sorry my train of thought sort of left me and it turned out like this….it's really bad and has no point heheh

but I do know it's the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper so don't go telling me I don't know k?

Sorry but review! Please!


	17. Chapter 17 Happy Birthday Rukia

For the one and only Kuchiki Rukia!!!!

Happy b-day!

* * *

January, a cold and winter filled month where the world is just getting used to the biting winds; however today was different in one factor.

Kuchiki Rukia was born this day, and in that fact……

"Rukia!!!!!!" a shrill voice screamed from across the classroom, shocking a raven haired girl from her book.

"Rangiku what is it?"

"Happy birthday girl!" giving the petite girl a hug, Rukia's sight was instantly filled with darkness and the inability to breathe.

"R-Rangi-ku I can't breathe!"

"Huh? Oh sorry kiddo, these things get in the way so many times I forget" scratching the back of her buddle of strawberry-blonde hair Rangiku took a chair from another desk and sat down in front of Rukia; with a large smile on her face.

"What?"

"So what are the plans?"

"Plans?"

"For your party duh!" flicking the raven haired girl on the forehead, the bosomy teen grinned

"Ow! Rangiku I'm not having a party"

"What?! Why not?"

"I'm too old to have parties, you know that"

"You can never be too old to have friends over celebrating your birth!" Rangiku spoke as if she were their Psychology teacher, all wisdom and experience and such.

"You may not be, but I am"

"Aw come on Rukia!"

"No"

"Please!"

"No"

"Pretty please!"

"I said no!"

"How about we just get our closest friends and hang out tonight?"

"…"

"Just a simple movie and dinner, nothing big" looking at her best friend with puppy dog eyes, filling her ice blue eyes with would be tears of pleading sweetness towards the cold girl, who in turn sighed with defeat.

"Fine but JUST our closest friends! That means only Ichigo, Renji, Toushiro, and Shuuhei! Got that!"

"Yes ma'am!" giving the smaller girl a salute the strawberry-blonde took to the hall and ran out as fast as she could to tell the guys.

And for some odd reason Rukia felt something was going to go incredibly wrong.

* * *

Later that night both girls drove to their destination as the guys were already there waiting for them. Rangiku was dressed in a simple spaghetti strapped red dress and red flats, as it clashed and mingled with her hair. Rukia on the other hand decided a plain pair of white skinny jeans, black flats, dark purple top and matching arm warmers would be prefect.

"Where are they meeting us again?"

"At the strip, we can walk around and decide where to go from there" Rangiku explained not taking her eyes off the road.

"Hmm"

"What?"

"Nothing, just a feeling"

"A feeling? Are you sick or something? Or could it be perhaps that you're nervous seeing Toushiro?"

"Why the hell would I be nervous seeing him?!" staring incredulously at her best friend from the passengers seat

"Face it, you two like each other so much it's driving everyone crazy how dense you two can be!"

"We don't like each other like that! We've been friends for too long to have those kinds of feelings!"

"Sure, whatever you say Rukia" as Rukia turned towards the window crossing her arms like she would always do when she was angry, Rangiku did well in hiding her smirk.

For the time being.

* * *

"You girls are late!" Renji spoke pointing a finger at both the females of the gang of six.

"Hey do you know how hard it is finding a parking place at a time like this?" she had a point,

"Fine, you both are here now lets get going, by the way" Shuuhei turned his head down to look at the much smaller girl in front of him and gave her a smile "happy birthday Rukia"

"Thank you Shuuhei"

"Happy birthday Rukia"

"Thanks Ichigo"

"Happy birthday Rukia"

"Thanks Renji"

"Happy b-day Ruki-chan!" hugging the smaller girl once more, Rukia found her breathing was cut off again.

"R-rangiku! I need air" when….

"You're finally a year older and still so short huh?"

"Shut up Toushiro like you're any better!" turning her head as much as she could as it was still in Rangiku's bosom, the purple eyed girl glared at the white haired teen as he responded with a smirk

"I'm still growing"

"You're only a year younger! Not much of growing since then huh?"

"Now now you two love birds stop it!" smiling Rangiku let go of the girl she saw as a sister and headed on along with the rest, screaming back for them to hurry and follow

"Ladies first"

"Tch" turning on her heel Rukia ran ahead as Toushiro watched her for a moment longer before running on.

After dinner at a fine restaurant, fully paid for and enjoyed the gang continued to walk around the strip for a while when something caught Renji's attention

"Hey look!"

"A haunted house?" Toushiro spoke

"How about going in?" Renji suggested only to be shot down by Rukia

"No! no way in hell!"

"Come on" Toushiro smirked

"Yeah you're older now get over your fear of ghosts!" Renji antagonized a flushed Rukia

"I'm not afraid of ghosts!"

"Yeah you are, baby" Toushiro smirked his bright green eyes orbs gleaming with amusement

"I'm not a baby!"

"Then prove us wrong come on Rukia" Ichigo joined in the guys childish teasing of poor Rukia.

"…Fine!…I will!" clenching her fists, she wasn't going to have her pride as a girl cut down by these boys! Hell no! stomping her way towards the doors the guys followed close behind her when Ichigo asked.

"Where's Shuuhei and Rangiku?"

* * *

Surrounded by darkness with no light Rukia held fast to herself making sure not to show that she was scared to the core.

"Scared yet Rukia?" Renji's voice spoke up in the darkness

"No, you?"

"Not even"

"Then it won't be long before that changes" Rukia teased her redheaded friend

"Will that be before or after you get scared Rukia?"

"Ha ha Toushiro but I'm not getting scared anytime soon! Right Ichigo!" silence only answered her. "Ichigo?" everyone turned around to grope for the carrot top only they met with air.

"Where the hell did he-!" suddenly Renji's voice was cut off and then silence.

"R-renji?" hey Renji speak up! Renji!" fear and panic began to well in her voice when

"Rukia calm down!"

"T-Toushiro!" suddenly remembering she was not alone, Rukia regained most of her composure "where are they!"

"I don't know but lets get out of here"

"Yeah" grabbing hold of Toushiro's hand, the white haired boy lead them the way he thought was the out…..only to get them more lost in the end.

"Where the hell are we now?!"

"Damn it, this entire place looks the same" cursing under his breath, Toushiro refused to be beat by a place created to scare little children. Holding onto Rukia's hand tighter they were about to head forward when a sound was heard on Rukia's ears

"Wait what's that sound?"

"What soun-"

"Shush" both quiet now an eerie silence filled the cobwebbed and mirror filled room

"…."

"Did you hear that?"

"What?" a sudden shadow from the corner of his eyes was caught "what the hell!"

"Quiet!"

"Rukia!"

"I heard it!"

"What are you-"

"…."

"That!"

"I don't-"

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!" a shrill scream filled the room and in an instant the warmth on his hand was gone and a wind ran past him, before long the raven haired girl beside him had disappeared.

"Rukia come back!!! Rukia!" sprinting after her Toushiro had no time to see a smirk play on a face, as shadows appeared after them.

* * *

"Rukia where are you! Rukia!" cursing at himself for letting his hold on her slip for even a moment, Toushiro groped through the dark feeling for the girl when a noise was heard on his ears, "Rukia?"

"…."

"Rukia it's me Toushiro, where are you?"

"T-tous-hiro" turning towards the sound of the meek voice the white haired boy felt a wall before him and slowly he kneeled until the edges of his fingers touched warmth,

"Rukia?"

"Toushiro" another weak whimper sounded and in a second he wrapped his arms around the tiny raven haired girl.

"It's alright Rukia I'm right here"

"Toushiro I want to get out of here! I d-don't want to do this anymore"

"I know, come on I'll try to get us out"

"B-but that scream!"

"Shush, I'll take care of you, trust me" although she couldn't see his eyes Rukia could tell by the hush and strength of his voice, Toushiro would do everything he could to keep her safe.

"Uhm" standing up Rukia again took hold of the boy's hand this time however she also held onto his entire arm, pressing it close to her chest. Not conscious of the blush she brought on the lightly tanned boy,

"Let's get out of here okay?

"Lead the way" before long they had reached the last hallway and dark filled room, "hey Toushiro?"

"Hmm?"

"…you won't tell anyone about me-"

"Heh don't worry I'm not like Ichigo or Renji" looking back into the girl's purple eyes against the dark Toushiro made out Rukia's face and placed a tender kiss on her cheek a light whisper in her ear, and Rukia blushed red

"I'll keep your secret"

"Thank you" together hand in hand they opened the door and were finally let out into the light.

* * *

Meanwhile....

"See! I knew scaring Rukia would finally bring them together!" Rangiku smirked remembering how the two were holding hands, tightly and secure.

"Yeah what I can't believe was that it worked!" exclaimed Shuuhei breathless,

"Now that our job is done I have one question" Ichigo's voice broke out along with his other two friends

"What's up Ichigo?"

"How the hell do we get out and where is Renji?"

* * *

"Shit, where am I?"

* * *

Me- poor Renji! Lost in a haunted house attraction hahahh!

But the plot was inspired by Vizzy-chan and BB-soutaichou! You two know where and how I got this idea! Don't you?

Anyway please read and review! And say happy birthday to Rukia!!!!


	18. Chapter 18 Don't Leave Me

Je suis desolee tout le monde! (I'm sorry everyone) it's been too long! But life's at fault here not me!

But anyway here is the next installment!

For my one and only **Youshallnotpass**-taichou, who has been the best to me since the beginning and a new friend of mine **ViperineVampire** who loves vampires! of course who doesn't!…at least the ones not sparkly

* * *

Soundly a pair of high heels hit the uneven cobble stone under her feet, with a slight sway of her hips and a pair of clenched fists, a raven haired beauty glared and cursed under her breath.

"Stupid bastards! They make me work ungodly hours of the day and night and for what?! I get no where!" ready to kill someone Rukia had finally arrived at the place she was headed, Dublin Pub.

The sound of the ringing bell on the heavy worn out green door resounded throughout the Irish pub, allowing its patrons to know another of them had entered. A woman with a busty chest and bright strawberry-blonde hair looked up at the familiar sound of the light stomping footsteps, she smiled

"Hello to you too little Rukia"

"I'm not in the mood Rangiku"

"Heh I can see that, your regular right?" without even a nod of the head Rangiku turned around and began to make the tiny girl's drink when she spoke

"No, make me something stronger"

"Are you sure? Your regular is pretty strong already"

"I need something to forget…" with a light nod to her friend, Rangiku began to make something a little stronger, she knew what alcohol did to her friend. Silence filled the two girls as the pub surrounding them bustled with life and merriment, Rukia got her drink and took it down piece by piece,

"Come on little Rukia, your job can't be that bad"

"It is Rangiku! They make me work and work and I try to always be the best worker! But no matter what they always keep me in my same position! I never get any higher!"

"It's a hard job…." the bartender tried to convince her friend

"That's still not enough! I've been working there for five years Rangiku! Five years and I've gotten no where…." holding her head from falling onto the bar table, time slowly dwindled away and before long the small pub was emptying and midnight was approaching.

"Rukia I think it's time you get home"

"Don't make me leave Rangiku….I can't go home…" talking into her arms as she laid on the table, the sudden sound of the door bell ringing attracted the busty woman's attention

"Welcome sir"

"Hello" the man's voice sounded throughout the pub only a handful of people left.

* * *

Rukia had long finished her drink and was now just sitting slouched over in her chair, the man sitting beside her she gave no heed to him and with Rangiku in the back to get more supplies there was little to no reason to care. Until…

"A lady must never show her frown to the public"

"Are you talking to me?"

"I believe so" looking to his right at the woman, his glass of alcohol still in his hand

"Do I look like I give a damn what anyone thinks?" her dark purple eyes shining with a gaze of annoyance.

"I'm sure you're a woman who walks to her own beat"

"Damn right!" pushing herself up from the table, Rukia looked to her left and got a good look at the man beside her, he was a young man about late twenties but his hair showed differently, it was pure white and hung in an odd shape that oddly seemed to frame his fine face, clashing well with his Irish green eyes. "Who are you anyway?"

"Isn't it proper etiquette to introduce yourself first?" looking amused he placed his glass on the table

"You're a real ass you know"

"Am I?"

"Yeah" glaring at the beautiful man, Rukia got up and paid for her drink wobbling to the door, as a pair of green eyes watched her

"Are you going home?"

"Why the hell do you care?" she called back, turning her head to glare at the man again, Rukia took one step more towards the heavy door before her heel gave way to her alcoholic wobble when suddenly a pair of warm and strong arms surrounded her waist and a flash of glowing red and flush white appeared in front of her eyes, before finally fading to black.

* * *

The sound of soft footsteps echoed along the old buildings of Ireland, past the gothic church, swift over the green pastures, running across the babbling waters. A tiny flutter of black lashes showed that the petite woman was awake

"Are you alright now?"

"Hmm where am I?"

"You're on my back, and I'm taking you home"

"What!?- ow my head" holding her head Rukia placed it back on the man's shoulder blade trying to keep the pain away by resting her eyes

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"Hmm?"

"You're a stranger, taking home another stranger….you're not a pervert are you!?" about to jump off the man, he held her legs tight against his torso

"I'm not pervert I can assure you"

"Then why…." somehow his voice made her believe him.

"You looked like someone who needed someone to lean on" with wide dark purple eyes Rukia was stunned for a moment before letting the drinks affects drown her senses,

"…I am, thank you"

"I'm at your service" smiling at the response he got, the man continued to walk towards the destination the worried bartender had given him, walking with ease through the darkness after some time had passed Rukia stirred.

"Bad dream?"

"…yeah"

"Would you like to talk about it?" letting his gentle voice sooth her Rukia nodded as she held onto the man tighter

"It was about my family back in Japan, my mother and father died when I was just a baby along with my sister, I was adopted by a family friend who now I call my big brother…."

"…." giving her time to collect herself, the man kept walking silently listening

"He gave me everything I could ever want, he had status, power, money everything but…. He never gave me what I guess what I really wanted"

"That would be?"

"Love…" hearing the strain in her own voice Rukia pressed her head deeper into the man's neck, holding him tightly as if he were her on and only life line. It was painful to give voice to the past she had tried so hard to run away from, but with this man…. It felt relieving "all I wanted was to be someone in his eyes, but nothing I did was ever perfect enough to get his attention, after years of trying I finally moved out… and moved here to Ireland"

"Did you leave without telling him?"

"Even if I did would he care?" sleep began to take over her consciousness and her soft voice began to waver

"I believe he would, I know I would be if you left me"

"Nii-sama would never want me back….no one would" just as the words left her red lips a bitter tear fell from her closed lids onto the man's back, and for a moment through the darkness a sadness gazed his face, sadness that seemed to bathe in sorrow; as if he knew her pain and more.

* * *

Placed in her bed comfortable and warm Rukia finally woke up once more, only to find out she was in her room, in her apartment.

"W-wha how did I?"

"I used your house key and placed you in bed" whipping her head towards the sound of the intruding voice, Rukia automatically regretted it

"Gah! My neck"

"Whipping your head will do that" smiling at the girl the nameless man walked towards the foot of her bed and looked her in the face, just the same with Rukia.

"T-Thank you, for bringing me back home"

"It was my pleasure"

"You know, you aren't the kind of guy I thought you'd be" a handsome smirk appeared on his face

"And what type of man did you see me as?"

"The old kind who thinks they're all that, like you always know something no one else knows but you won't tell them what it is no matter how much they ask"

"You aren't completely off" giving the man a smile for the first time, Rukia spoke

"My name is Kuchiki Rukia"

"Hmm?"

"What's your name?" smiling at her with an equal grin he answered as he walked over to her side, taking up her hand he bent over laying his smooth lips on her outer palm in a tender kiss; making the raven haired girl flush pink.

"My name is Hitsugaya Toushiro"

"Toushiro hmm? Well then Toushiro pleased to meet you"

"The pleasure was all mine" glancing up a light flicker of red gleamed in his eyes before disappearing into the moonlight.

"If you want you can spend the night" Rukia advised the white haired man, for some odd reason she felt like she could trust this man, trust him with everything as if he were there for her…. Her and only her, no one else.

"I would love to, thank you" taking her palm again Toushiro kissed it once more before bending over towards the slowly drifting raven haired woman as he softly spoke in his velvet voice, thick with an Irish accent. "I promise when you wake up, I will still be here, I will not leave you Rukia"

With a light smile from her weak lips she answered "don't leave me Toushiro."

* * *

Authors note- I know **ViperineVampire** it didn't have much vampire-ness but if you look at the it on a deeper form you can see! But I'll understand if you don't like it and ask for another one with more vampire-ness! Even I want to make another one more vampire-ish! But the plots for those are a bit harder…..

And to taichou! I hope you liked it! Next time I'll try to do one from your G.B!

And of course to everyone else! Sorry it's been AGES since I was last here for these one-shots! But ideas such as these are hard to think of and/or just randomly come to me!

But enough about that, please read and review!!!!


	19. Chapter 19 His Eyes

Hey everyone! Its been a really long time huh? Well I got a good one for ya'll!

I got this from wondering why people are always thinking Hitsugaya's eyes are green or blue.

Here is my answer!

_______________________________

How long ago was it when he first asked me out? I can't remember, its been too long since that day but I do know how he asked me out.

It was a bright day in winter the sun was high in the sky and the wind calm and fresh with winters touch, light snow had fallen the night before and everything was a glittering land of white purity. We had been friends for only a few weeks maybe a month and a half at most but I had a crush on him long before I met him.

He was the most beautiful and handsome man I had ever seen, I didn't doubt for a minute he wasn't a model or something to that caliber, but really he was just another guy in school. He wasn't the tallest guy in our grade but he had a build worth his weight in personality and looks, with a lightly tanned skin that glowed all year round, a defined face, stark white hair and blue eyes.

I often wondered why his hair was white when everyone else was a more 'normal' color, but personally I loved it, the shape it took on his head, the style that fit him perfectly, the shade that was so easily detected from a crowd, and later on the texture that was soft and so familiar; it was his own look and no one could take that from him. But what confused me more after I had gotten to know him were his eyes.

They were a clear blue that was not like any other I had seen on anyone before, my friend Ishida had blue eyes but they were nothing compared to his, I found myself staring at them far more than often.

"Hey Rukia"

"Hey you"

"Beautiful out here huh?"

"Yeah I love the snow"

"I know, me too" smiling that light smirk of his, I couldn't take my eyes off of him as the sun danced off his face, making his eyes glitter. If I remember hard enough, I could see a light flush of pink on his cheeks at the time

"Did you finish your homework?" I asked just to break the silence that would follow us almost always

"No"

"Heh you dork, you took my pencil to use to finish that work you procrastinate didn't you?" letting a grin at the memory fall on my face he replied into his scarf

"I took that pencil because I liked it"

"It wasn't anything special, just an artists pencil" rolling my eyes, I shivered as a light gust of wind blew

"I took it because it was yours" that was something I wasn't expecting to hear from him, but just as quickly I responded

"Then you have something of me to remember when you're dieing of boredom in your classes"

"Heh yeah" silence once again had its home between us but this time it was different, our silence is normally comfortable although not really welcomed, this silence was…awkward.

"Hard to think spring break is next week huh?"

"Yeah, its not going to be too spring with this snow"

"It'll melt by the time we're out of school"

Nodding his head I could tell he was thinking of something else completely, so I got quiet and left him to his thoughts, when I asked

"Are you doing anything this spring break?"

"Hmm? No"

"Want to hang out with me, Rangiku, Ichigo, Renji, and the others?"

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet but I think maybe go to the mall, skating or something"

"Sure"

"Cool"

"But first"

"Hmm?" seeing him turn to me to give me a half look, and then turn back to look at the buses coming,

"Are you busy this weekend?"

"No, just homework but I have a feeling I'm not going to do it anytime soon"

"Want to go watch a movie?" my heart stopped for a moment and I could feel my mind black out in that instant,

"Depends are you asking me out?" I made sure my voice sounded teasing and serious, which was oddly very easy at the time

"…depends are you go with me?"

"…would you be paying for the movie?"

"Yeah"

"Then I'll pay for the food"

"Is that a yes?" looking at me with those blue eyes of his and a shy smile I grinned

"You mister Hitsugaya Toushiro, have a date" since then we've been together.

__________________________________

That was years ago and now after being with him for years, he still has me confused. I can understand him better than anyone, he's said that millions of times, that I'm the one who confuses him; he doesn't see what makes me wonder.

Those eyes that show me more of him then he wants, I can see I always have, his sadness, his anger, his pride, his love, all of it is behind those glass windows of crystal blue. But I'm not the only one who sees him, I can see his ex-girlfriend sees through him as well.

When they talk he smiles for her, laughs with her, I've never been the jealous type especially with him because I know they're just friends, what happened between them is over, but us….we've just begun.

"Rukia why so quiet?"

"Sorry did I wake you?"

"No, you?"

"No, just reminiscing"

"You wouldn't be reminiscing about me would you miss Kuchiki Rukia?" a smile played on his face, I could tell as he pressed me closer to his warm chest, as we laid in bed.

"How did you know mister Hitsugaya Toushiro?"

"I know you"

"Right" feeling my head get heavy I placed it on the pillow and watched as he kissed my forehead and turn over to the nightstand beside him taking out his contacts, and I couldn't help but smile.

Even though the world knew him, everyone could see his heart, I was the only one who saw his soul.

His soul of bright green.

_____________________________________________

Me- Da Dan! How was that! Personally I liked this one! I think Hitsugaya's eyes are green but hey in this story their both! With the magical help of colored contacts!

It was sort of based on my could/should-be experience with a guy I like! (mostly the pencil and the silence stuff)

BUT anyway enough about me! Tell me what ya'll thought! I'm always eager to hear from my faithful readers and reviewers!


	20. Chapter 20 Faded Love is Never Gone

I just finished AP exams so if this story seems to be different from my previous chapters, its because I'm thinking on a higher level of narration.

Something more…..distant. In a poetic sense.

Can you find the deeper meaning, I wonder.

____________________________

_They loved each other. Love deeper than the farthest reaches of the oceans floor, higher than the sun's peek. Pure and forbidden love. They were not allowed to meet, to know the other's very existence. They had met by chance and by fate torn apart._

_She had promised to see him again, just as he promised her he would wait- until they would be together again as one. _

_They would not let each other go, not to time itself._

Soft hues of gold and red, raining and falling free around the world of autumn. Winter is coming, he can tell- he's always been able to tell.

Staring out into the afterglow of the setting sun, casting it's rays of faded gold and brown; a shadow of a man steps out of the coverage the scarce amounts of trees gives him.

He is searching, watching and ever aware of the world and it's creatures- night is close but still a shimmer of sun remains. It hurts him, but he can not draw away, not when the light feels like hot breath on his skin.

He can not leave, not until she comes to see him. She promised- she always does and each time she comes. Always.

The pitter patter of light feet on death rings in his well toned ears and he draws back into the trees, watching.

It is a girl, a young raven haired girl with large innocent purple eyes, she's beautiful. She always is, he notices with a smile.

The girl stops in the middle of the opened space, surrounded by sparse golden trees, she smiles and twirls in a circle, stretching her arms out trying to catch the ever falling leaves of old russet and dead burgundy. Death dances at her feet as melancholy glooms ahead, she doesn't seem to notice. Or rather, doesn't care.

He smiles, it's just like her. She's different yes, but always there is something that remains the same, something that always remains hers alone- like no other before or after her.

She stops and listens to the hollow wind whispering her secrets to anyone who bothers to listen, caressing the girl as he would- like a lover, she smiles and once more begins to dance on death when her attention is drawn to a shadow from the edge of her eyes.

He watching silently, behind his cover as the girl looks at him. Through him, rather, and slowly almost cautiously the girl steps towards a plain looking tree, thin and old. Something about it draws her….yearns for her to look and see.

When her attention is drawn from the gold and brown, towards the park, to her family.

She always cherished them above all else. The girl runs to the ones calling her, her small back fading from his view.

He watches as she disappears once more, and he knows he must wait again. Until she comes back, one day.

She promised she would and she always keeps her word. Always. And so he steps back into the thin shadow of gold and brown and red, until the day comes when he can finally take her as his, until the day he no longer will have to wait.

She will come again, just as she always had centuries long ago.

_________________________________

Me- I think this one was beautiful don't you? If anyone can see the deeper meaning of this chapter then by all means tell me and I'll see if any were right!

And! If you are right, then as a prize the next chapter will be based/dedicated to you! As in you tell me your idea and I'll write it out in your honor!

So do please read and review!


	21. Chapter 21 Please Tell Me Why

Sooooo sorry for the REALLY long hiatus! I just went brain dead on ideas…and most likely it'll happen again but!

I got a really good idea here! So please enjoy!

______________________________

"_You've got ten minutes" a solid male voice spoke, resounding in the empty metal cell closing the thick black door to the world._

"…_Kuchiki"_

"_How did you know?" dark purple orbs glanced up from the ground in guilt and pain, standing in front of a man who in turn was locked away behind bars._

"_Your footsteps"_

"_Of course, how are you?"_

"…_as good as I can be" that was an honest answer considering his position._

"_..Hitsugaya-taichou…please tell me wh-!"_

"_Kuchiki!" flinching slightly the raven haired woman watched as the strong white haired man turned and stood up, walking slowly towards her. His eyes a shade darker and dull._

"_Taichou"_

"_Why do you keep trying to ask me that question?"_

"_I need to know! you didn't have to take my place! I-I committed that sin and you-"_

"_I committed a sin, a sin Soul Society has deemed worthy of imprisonment; _this is my punishment"

"No, it's mine_" locking her deep purple eyes with his dull emerald orbs, Rukia couldn't help but think back to that day._

_The beginning of all this pain and suffering._

__________________________________

"You've been given a seat in the 13th division?"

"Yes! I don't know what to expect but I'm really excited about it Hitsugaya-taichou!" beaming with pride Rukia looked to the man on her right, the child prodigy and captain of the tenth division Hitsugaya Toushiro.

"Congratulations Kuchiki"

"Thank you! I wanted to tell you first since I won't go to meet the captain of that squad until tomorrow"

"His name is Ukitake Juushirou, know your taichou's name before you enter his squad will you Kuchiki"

"Ha hhaha right thanks!" rubbing the back of her head, the raven haired girl flushed lightly. This was the beginning of the rest of her life as a shinigami of Soul Society! All her dreams were coming true, finally.

Seeing her beam with pride and glow with beauty Hitsugaya smiled to himself, although he didn't show it when Kuchiki said he was the first she had to tell made his day, hell it made his week.

Since the ending of their school days at the Academy, Hitsugaya and Kuchiki have trained together as sparing partners; mostly because both of them possessed the most powerful and the most beautiful Snow and Ice zanpakutou in Soul Society. For years, they have been learning from the other and now, it was time for Rukia to show the world her power.

And he couldn't be more proud. He was going to show her just how much.

"Kuchiki"

"Hmm?"

"How about we spar?"

"Today? Are you sure?"

"Why not, tomorrow you're going to make your debut as a shinigami of Soul Society, getting in more training never hurt anyone"

"No I guess not, alright taichou I'll take you on!" jumping up the two shared a smile

"Prepare yourself Kuchiki"

"You too Hitsugaya-taichou!" and in a flash of white and silver the two went at it.

______________________________________

"So how is your new squad?"

"It's amazing! Ukitake-taichou is the most amazing man I have known and Kaien-dono is also an amazing man, both of them have made my coming a welcome to always remember"

"I see"

"Although he's often laying in bed sick Ukitake-taichou is a kind and gentle man and yet he holds this unspeakable power, a power that might equal Byakuya nii-sama"

"Uh huh"

"And Kaien-dono…" noticing a light tint of pink along the woman's cheeks at the mention of the black haired vice-captain, Hitsugaya couldn't help but feel a slight pull in his chest; he ignored it.

"What about him?"

"He is the most oddest man I've come to know"

"Gah! Huh? I thought you said he was an amazing man"

"He is but he's also so odd, he's loud and impulsive, he doesn't listen to others and always gets himself into trouble and yet…" smiling to herself a kind and gentle flutter of her pale lips "he is kind and intelligent, he always stands up for our squad members and helps anyone who needs it, he is selfless and; one day I wish to be just like him" looking to her right, purple clashed with green.

"I see…"

"Taichou is something wrong?"

"...no"

"You don't sound happy" looking at the girl to his left, under this tree they always met under she looked beautiful, her dark amethyst orbs mixing with her raven black hair. Her smooth ivory skin with a touch of pink whenever she was flustered.

Hitsugaya found himself falling for her. Just as she was falling for another.

"I'm fine, how about we train now"

"…yeah okay" she answered. During the whole day of practice, Kuchiki kept her mouth shut. How was she to tell him that Kaien-dono asked to help her train, with him being in her squad not to mention her vice-captain. His zanpakutou was Water based and could help her with Ice attacks- it was an automatic answer.

"I'll tell him another day, when he's not so cranky"

______________________________________________

But Kuchiki couldn't do that. For soon after that day she had been sent on mission after mission within the division to wandering around Soul Society. Until one rainy day….

"RUN KUCHIKI!"

"K-Kaien-dono!!" searching the man's turquoise eyes he quickly pushed her away, screaming at her in a voice she had never heard from his mouth

"I said get out now! You can't fight this kind of hollow!" with tears in her eyes the petite girl ran for her life, passing each tree, each shadow she ran and ran; never looking back.

And she knew deep within her death was coming, the dark and twisting fear of death…or herself or….him. A loved one.

Stopping herself, Kuchiki clenched her fist and bit her lip drawing blood, and in an instant she sprinted back to her vice-captain and friend. Until she had landed in an opening. Trying to calm her shallow breath.

The girl knew Soul society would send a round of it's shinigami to find them, for they had been missing for a day and a half already; looking and trying to kill a rouge hollow. It had been her vice-captain's mission and he in turn asked her for help; they left moments after.

When all turned to this living hell.

"Kaien-dono! Where are you! Kaien-don-!"

"Hehehe Kuuuchiki" a voice purred, a body fall and a form turned in shock drawing her sword

"K-Kaien-"

"Kuuuuchiki! You're here! How great!" seeing the shadow before her in the moonlight she suppressed a scream, fear paralyzing her legs and stopping her heart. The shadow was Kaien-dono.

No. not him anymore….he was taken by the hollow!

"N-no! Kaien-dono!" she could feel tears welling beneath her purple orbs…not her Kaien-dono!

"Yes Kuchiki why not join me? It's fun!" without warning the hollow with her vice-captain's face jumped at her and without thinking, with her back to a thick tree she plunged her silver sword into the man's heart.

Twisting and cold, the metal ran through a warm body; the thick smell of blood drowning in unforgiving rain.

"K-Kaien-dono!"

"K-Kuchiki t-thank you" holding the small girl in his arms the man looked into his subordinates eyes "I can leave my heart here"

"Kaien-dono!"

"…." he was gone.

"KAIEN-DONO! NOOOOO!" screaming at the top of her lungs, Kuchiki cried into the man's dead body; slowly feeling the heat fade under the cold rain.

A form appearing from the shadows drew a gasp, earning purple eyes.

"Kuchiki"

"H-Hitsugaya-taichou!" swollen face of pale pink and blood, the green eyed man knew what happened within a moment's time and quickly without thinking he pressed himself to the shaken girl.

"Kuchiki you have to get out of here!"

"T-taichou I-I can't l-leave him"

"Kuchiki! Damn it listen to me for once and leave! Now!" drawing the girl up on her feet, he quickly gave her a tight hug. "Run Kuchiki and don't look back"

"Hitsugaya-taichou"

"Do this for me!" darting his eyes around the surrounding forest, through the rain he could tell....

"Now run! Go!" pushing her away, Kuchiki took one last look at her vice-captain and ran with her bloodstained sword in hand.

Never looking back.

Dropping to the ground Hitsugaya did the unthinkable, taking out his sword the white haired man stabbed the dead body of his fellow shinigami. Reaching for the open wound Hitsugaya ran his fingers in blood drawing them along his own body.

What he was doing was blasphemous, he would be claimed of murder and deemed a traitor. His name would be tainted and his power stripped. All his life's work would be gone when the other shinigami coming, found him.

But…in doing this he could do one thing, absolutely. He would be protecting the one person he loved from death.

______________________________________

"_I killed Kaien-dono with my sword! His blood is on my hands not yours Hitsugaya-taichou!"_

"_..I murdered Shiba Kaien and take full responsibly of my actions"_

"_No!" pressing herself to the bars she pleaded with the man on the other side. She was suppose to be there, dressed in white, stripped of her power; awaiting death for taking a life that didn't belong to her. _

"_Please!…Toushiro tell me why! Why did you do this for me!?" not caring for her tears, Kuchiki cried shoulders shaking, when a calm warm hand pushed her chin up; amethyst met emerald._

"I love you Rukia_, that's why" pressing his lips to the woman, through the bars; neither one cared. The kiss was warm and filled with sorrowful love._

"…_I"_

"_I couldn't bear to see you in here, that's why I had to protect you… I love you" raising her hand to caress his face, Kuchiki smiled bitterly through her never ending tears_

"_Then please…tell me Toushiro…._why are you crying_"_

_______________________________________

Me- how was it?! Does this earn me a little of your forgiveness?! It's just I've not had an idea in a REALLY long time soooo!

Please tell me what you think and if anyone has any ideas PM me!


	22. Chapter 22 Goodbye

Thanks so much for the alerts and PMs although there were no reviews I still felt really glad to be back to HitsuRuki!

I'm here to reclaim my seat in the Army! As third seat to the Sixth squad!

______________________________

'_Where is he?_' that thought rung in her mind over and over again, never letting free her worries and fears that as of late were starting to make her hesitant.

Rukia felt the winter wind blow her black winter coat, pulling her hair teasingly as she spotted a dot of white hair, her fears instantly put at ease. Unconsciously the young woman felt the silver band on her third left finger and a smile form on her face.

"Toushiro I thought you weren't going to come today"

"Rukia I have something to tell you"

"What is it?" the man before her, her co-worker, her long time friend and now her fiancée; Hitsugaya Toushiro.

The feeling of her hand being pulled to him was unconscious, a form of affection they would give to each other in secret; but- the cold feeling of metal on her warm palm was unfamiliar.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, I can't marry you" looking down in her palm his half of their pair of silver wedding bands lay unforgiving. untouched and unwanted.

"W-wha"

"We can't be together Rukia…I'm sorry" turning until his back faded from her sight, the emblem on his jacket of his favorite number Ten burned in her mind; as she fell to the ground onto her knees, looking at the ring in her hand and the one she wore.

Rukia cried.

_________________________________

Her steps were clouded and unfamiliar. Vague images of people and places passed her eyes, flashes and sounds running through her head; Rukia didn't notice them.

Nothing. She felt nothing. Even as she stood in her room in her small apartment, she couldn't feel the bed under her, the cool wind as it pasted her open window, she felt numb. And only the weight of her ring in her palm reminded her why she couldn't feel.

Middle school- the day they first met. In art class none the less, Rukia picked up her pencil and started to draw the one thing in the world she loved more than anything else. Bunnies. Millions and millions of tiny white creatures, big ears, fluffy cotton tails, large carrots and her in the middle with bunny ears herself.

It was when he came over, reaching for a paint brush.

"Wow"

"Hmm? Oh you like! They're bunnies!"

"…they suck"

"What!" turning around to glare at the young boy, he in turned walked away.

Second year in middle school- they met again in gym. Today was running and Rukia was at the head of the group, on her last lap when another person came up from behind her.

"Where did you come from!"

"I come from Japan"

"That's not what I mean, how could you-"

"Instead of talking to me why not run faster bunny girl" and with that he beat her in the mile race. Taking her breath.

_________________________________________

The beginning of high school- once more they met, in English class, surrounded by friends and new faces; he was nonchalant to it all and this time, Rukia was the one to come over.

"I thought you moved away"

"I'm here aren't I? bunny girl"

"That's not my name you know"

"Yeah I know"

"Why keep calling me that? You have a thing against bunnies?" her voice hard, if he did not like her favorite animals in the world, she'd do a thing or two to change his mind!

"No"

"Then call me by my name" looking up at the girl from the place he was resting his head on the desk, green orbs clashed with purple

"….Kuchiki Rukia" with that he exited the classroom, leaving Rukia to watch his back.

Second year in high school- Rukia cursed herself in seeing once more, as a classmate the same boy was in one of her classes. Since she met him he was mean to her, talked little and if he did he just called her bunny girl- she didn't even have a nickname for him to backtalk with.

"…Shiro"

"What?"

"Shiro, that's what I'll call you from now on" getting up from his seat the white haired boy looked at Rukia, she stood her ground

"And where did this come from"

"Bunny girl"

"Ah so you think it's revenge?"

"Maybe" shrugging her thin shoulders, Rukia smiled at the boy as she returned to her seat seeing as how class was going to start soon, "it gets the same reaction, why not call it revenge"

This time it was Hitsugaya Toushiro to stare.

Third year in high school- it was time to end this mouse and cat game, once and for all.

"You want to go out with me don't you"

"Excuse me?" purple eyes widen and stared at the voice that had interrupted her research project,

"These five years, since seventh grade"

"What makes you think I want to go out with you Shiro-_chan_?" adding the last part as a sign of knowing how it pissed him off.

"What have you done to make me think you don't want to go out with me bunny girl" smirking at the raven haired female still sitting at her computer, all of the library lively with teens. Leaving them to talk alone, of sorts.

"Fine, tomorrow at seven at the movies"

"What ever you say" smirking Toushiro left as Rukia went back to her work, each one with a smile on their face.

Fourth year of high school- and it was time to say goodbye.

"So this is it huh"

"Yeah"

"Where are you going?"

"Some college overseas"

"…I see" hugging Toushiro, Rukia didn't want this year to end. She didn't want to say goodbye, that last word, that final farewell.

"I'll come back to Japan, I'll come back to you Rukia"

"When you do…."

"Yeah" smiling down at his raven haired love, Toushiro kissed her gently on the lips; lovingly and caring, unlike his social self.

"I'll marry you"

___________________________________________

Years pasted and life moved on, when she felt it had gone on too long he came back. Toushiro found her and their love rekindled, years on they dated, loved and finally he proposed.

They would be husband and wife, but now-

"Toushiro…." clutching her wedding band, Rukia ran out of her room, out of her apartment and away from it all; she ran, and ran only to the one person she loved. She tripped, she pushed and pulled through the crowds- the people, Rukia kept her heart soaring to the only person, she prayed could hear her.

And hear her he did. Toushiro ran, ran from his apartment and from the fear of marriage, that stupid and useless fear that ate away at him and made him throw the only woman he's ever loved- away.

The white haired man ran through the cold, through the cars and the roads, only to the one person he wanted to himself. The woman he wanted to live with all his life, he cursed at himself for his stupidity; the fear of closure. He gave her up for that fear, he gave Rukia up.

Toushiro ran pushing past his limit, past the tears that ran down his face; and to the park.

She waited and waited, standing there in the dark of night- bracing the cold wintry air; for nothing. He wasn't there. _He wasn't here_, where they had went on their first date. Rukia held herself, and cried.

He found it, the place they had met just hours ago…..nothing. _She wasn't here_. Toushiro screamed her name, pleaded for her to come out; but a shine in the grass stopped him. Slowly he picked it up….his ring.

Taking off her glove, looking at the gleam of her silver wedding band; Rukia clenched her eyes shut- unable to bear witness. Slowly and gently began to take it off.

Sitting on his knees, clutching his silver band tears in his green orbs, Toushiro cried.

__________________________________________

Me- did this make sense in the way I wrote it all? Please tell me your thoughts!

Read and review!!!!

Btw! Did anyone notice!? I up-dated the day before my birthday~! I'm turning -- isn't that great! it's the second year I've been a member of this site!


	23. Chapter 23 Wait don't Go, Run

Thank you everyone so much!

Special thanks to **Icicleriver22, berrytart94, xXxMiserableLoveFairyxXx, yume girl 91, Veldare, youshallnotpass **

________________________________________________

"I'm leaving"

"Go"

"..I mean it Toushiro, I'm sick of you!"

"Stop talking and go then! Get out of here!" angry words screamed throughout the small apartment. A tiny raven haired woman grabbed her things- packed and always ready, slamming the door closed.

The young man left inside looks at the door with a face, placing the bottle to his lips he stops just barely and throws it to the door, smashing the glass to millions of tiny mirrors- reflecting his disgusted face.

They ran away together, in the spur of the moment got married and made love over and over again. He promised her he would protect her, he would make a life for them and then a family they'd become.

He promised her many things- and for a while he kept each one.

Until that day. That day when his life fell, the company fell, his was dropped, they apartment threaten to be taken, bills and people kept coming in; destroying his mind.

She tried to keep him calm, tell him she was there- they were all they needed, they could start again somewhere else; but men are stubborn and this one man was the most stubborn of all.

He refused to fall and in the end he turned to the bottle and the hurtful words- he didn't mean it the first time, he promised not to do it the second time, he forgot the third time. And again and again he stopped caring about her, about them…until finally she left.

That was three years ago. Since then…he's been running after her.

________________________________________________

Japan to Taiwan. He learned from his mistake, a job was just a job, money was just money. She was more than all those things.

Rukia was more than anything to him, but he was too blinded by pride to see her saddened face, he was too deaf from the yells from his superiors to hear her pleas, too sick with the bottle and the words he couldn't-

"I'm sorry Rukia!"

"..sorry is too late"

"I was an idiot! I didn't realize my mistakes back then, I do now! Please forgive me"

"You took years of my life from me, hurt me more than anyone has before….you were my husband"

"I know… not a day goes by that I don't regret what I said"

"Don't do this Toushiro"

"Rukia I love you, I always have! Please…I want you back"

"No, it's too late…."

"Rukia!"

"I can't forgive you, not for this" she stood by her big brother, a man of strong power. He never did like him, but he treated Rukia with care like a father and mother- he was her only family and that was enough for Toushiro to respect the man….even if he was what stood between them before and even now.

"It's best you leave my sister"

"I-" closing the door in his face, shutting him from her.

That was two years ago. And since then he's been running after her.

________________________________________________

China to France. He remembers their time together, all those promises, those nights together, the years they knew each other and the day finally she said yes.

It was the day he realized, the rest of his life would be spent on one woman and her alone- they would become one, two people, two different lives, individual souls molding into one heart, one mind. He had waited for years to ask, those night she slept on his bed- her scent still in his pillows he watched her sleep, those days she glowed- wearing his shirt, he stood by her, those times over and over again played behind his green eyes, running down his face.

Every time he would curse himself, his stupidity, his pride, his anger; taken and absorbed by her. Rukia who stood by him- he pushed her.

"Rukia"

"What are you doing here?"

"I promised you something, I said I would protect always"

"You can say that after all those years you hurt me?"

"I was foolish, stupid. I wasn't thinking- Rukia, I stopped drinking, I've stopped everything and gave up all I had! I want just you back"

"No, I left you after I told you over and over again I would leave, when I do it's only then do you pay attention"

"…"

"No, you no longer have the right to step into my life Toushiro" softly closing her deep purple eyes pressing the them tightly, keeping her tears from sight- he saw, reaching out trying to grab her hand, pleading her to stay.

"I can love you right this time, I know I can Rukia…I love you"

"Stop it, please"

"No, I'll keep chasing you, for the rest of my life if I have too"

"Stop it"

"I have changed Rukia, I will show you" looking at her with his green eyes clashing against purple. White on black.

"No, you won't- I can't, I won't wait for you anymore Toushiro" pushing his arm off her in a moment the raven haired girl walked away, into the crowd and foreign buildings.

That was last year. And since then he's been running after her.

____________________________________________________

Rome to the United States. Across the world for three years, searching- looking for one person, finding and talking to her: each time losing her once more.

Toushiro would not give up. He had changed, different in so many ways, years growing up by his family did nothing to what he was now- all alone, he changed himself. For her.

And now, on the other side of the world, so far from their home, their country, their life together. He has run after her, always behind her wanting to touch but holding himself back until the right moment. He wants to tell her everything- but doesn't until the right moment.

Everything is for her now- it has always been for her, for his Rukia.

"I expected you to see you here"

"I told you Rukia, I would follow you for the rest of my life"

"You idiot" hitting him in the chest, her small hands against his heart- it feels right. Her pressed up to him, their bodies perfect for each other. "I told you I wouldn't wait!"

"I know"

"I told you it was too late!"

"I know"

"I told you…"

"Rukia…"

"But…I could never say I didn't love you" looking up at him her deep purple eyes no longer filled with hate, only eyes for him- the same ones he fell in love with, the same ones that stood by him all those years

"I love you Rukia, I always have" pressing his lips gently to her, soft and gentle but filled with longing, she returned it.

After years of running….he finally caught up.

_________________________________________________________

Me- okay I'm sorry! It wasn't the best I've written but I had a long week (I was on vacation) and stuff blah blah!

But! I hope this made sense and all and everyone reads and reviews!!!


	24. Chapter 24 Our World of Ice and Snow

So sorry for the late up-date, just had a hectic life so far! but thank you to everyone who reviewed and alerted!

__________________________________________

We can't meet outside. We can't meet or people would talk. People here always talk, about you it'd be bad for your name. For you it'd be bad for your title. For that we can't meet each other- where people would see us.

We can't hold each others hand, we can't kiss, we can't look into each others eyes, we can't tell the other how much they mean to us. But- to us, that doesn't matter.

We still do it.

Within our minds, our worlds of ice. We mingle together- and become one.

"Hitsugaya-taichou!!!"

"What is it Matsumoto" he is working on his mountain load of paper work, looking angrily up at his lieutenant

"Can I go out drinking tonight?"

"No!"

"But taichou!!!! I can't survive without alcohol! You know that!"

"I do and I don't care, your going to finish your work Matsumoto!"

"Taichou! You're so mean! you need to find yourself a girlfriend already!"

"Shut up and get back to work!" crossing her arms the strawberry-blonde pouts and storms out of his captain quarters.

He sighs and closes his eyes, blocking out the world and it's troubles. He goes to one place, deep within himself there he finds her.

___________________________________________

"You two, what have you been doing"

"W-we're sorry Kuchiki-fukutaichou"

"I asked you to hurry with those things!"

"Y-yes ma'am"

"Go!" with a wave of her hand the shinigami shunpoed away and out of her wrath. Today was a stressful day, the shinigami seem restless as their captain, her captain seems to be getting better from his illness, little by little Ukitake-taichou doesn't need to rest for hours on end, no longer does he need to take his medicine and take it easy.

Everyone in their squad is restless for him to get better, and with that she is stressed with happiness and fatigue.

As lieutenant of the thirteenth squad, she had her work load doubled even tripled as of late and no time to rest for her own sake.

"I can't mope around like this! I need to do my best!" she mentally pushes herself to push her limits of workload but as ignorant as she is, she ignores it.

"Hey Rukia!"

"Renji!"

"Have you heard the news?"

"Hmm? What news?" grinning like a fool, the redhead beamed at his friend a bright blush aligning his cheeks

"I got a girlfriend!"

"What?!"

"I wanted you to be the first person I told, but can you believe it Rukia! I have a girlfriend!"

"W-wow Renji- congratulations!" a smile on her face she is happy and proud of him.

"Thanks! I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they see me! I'm going to be the talk of the town!"

"I bet but don't get to ahead of yourself, nii-sama won't be happy with you if you slack on your work" she advised, knowing Renji well but her brother even better

"Yeah yeah I got it, well I got to go now! Go see my girl!"

"Take care"

"You too, oh and Rukia?"

"Hmm?" she looks to her old friend as she grinned down at her,

"Get yourself a boyfriend!" and off he runs, not letting her speak back. But what could she say to that- she closes her mouth and instead walks into her quarters, closing the door to the world and it's troubles. She goes to one place, deep within herself there she finds him.

_______________________________________

Figures of white and black walk without halt through snow and ice, a world filled with pure white.

"_They're here master_" Hyourinmaru speaks in his deep voice, his light blue orbs looking down at the two, he and his master wait for always.

His lover and her Zanpakutou….no- not lover, she deserve more than to be called his master's lover, she deserves to be called by her name. Kuchiki Rukia, the woman who tamed his master, the one woman who could warm his master's cold heart and know just how cold his ice could be.

She was snow, and he was ice. They understood one another- in a way only they could for the other.

"I know"

"Up there again Toushiro?"

"I like the view up here" looking down at the girl from behind, a nod to Hyourinmaru and the dragon disappeared.

"Sode no Shirayuki"

"_I know_" with a smile of her lightly painted lips, the white sword disappeared leaving her master and her lover alone.

"Should I come up or are you coming down?"

"Join me?" without another word, she appeared beside him, high on the mountain overlooking their world of ice and snow, Rukia leaned on Toushiro's shoulder.

"You don't look happy"

"It's been stressful, Matsumoto doesn't do her work and is always bothering me to go out and drink"

"That sounds like her" a smile found its way on the small girl's face, when the pressure of something leaning on her head made her smile bigger

"How are you doing fukutaichou of the thirteenth squad" a smile of pride on his lightly tanned face, as he tore his gaze from his world and onto his woman.

"Tired"

"Why" worry laced within his voice, a tone only she could tell.

"Ukitake-taichou is getting better but he's still not quite there yet, my entire squad is feeling the same pressure but, I feel like I have it worse"

"…"

"I'm about to break Toushiro" closing her eyes, a knot in her brow- he could tell she didn't want to feel this way but, this pressure was unfamiliar to her and her body wasn't used to it yet

"I wish I could do something, I really do" but as captain of another squad, he could do nothing.

"I know you do" looking up at him from where she leaned her head, softly she kissed him.

A light feather of gentle snow on the first day of winter, sweet and yet so chillingly cold- always sending a shiver down his spine. Toushiro loved Rukia's kisses, and he would always show her.

Pressing his head down, holding her in his arms, Toushiro returned her kiss with icy passion.

Harsh like the winds of a would be long winter, cutting and biting and yet caressing her in ways only he could. Rukia adored Toushiro's lips, they were all that she needed to keep her from breaking.

Breaking apart slowly, reluctantly needing air, turquoise orbs gazed into amethyst eyes.

"For now, this is enough"

"Then my only regret is not being able to kiss you more" he smiled, a smirk only she knew; teasing and childlike

"You'd like that wouldn't you" she teased back, giving a smile only he saw on her face.

"I'd love that" outside their world of ice and snow, he would have never looked for affection from anyone. He pushed everyone away and let them watch him from afar, but here- with Rukia….he could yearn for her all he wanted.

And she would happily give him anything. For, she knew Toushiro would give her anything she wanted as well.

Here in their world of their own ice and snow, they could be the couple they couldn't be outside where people could see them. Where people could talk. Where his title could be tainted and her name tarnished.

"You're a pervert you know that"

"Only with you" a blush on her cheeks, she let him kiss it away as she let out a content sigh

"I love you, you know" he stops and looks her in the eyes, and sees she's serious. He loves that about her, her need to be cold and soft when she wanted to be- just like snow.

"I know, I love you too" he's young and anyone would tell him, she's just a passing crush. This isn't love he's feeling just curiosity and lust. No- not with her, never with Rukia. Hitsugaya Toushiro knows he's young, inexperienced in things others older than him- including Rukia, aren't.

But- none of that matters, because deep within him what he feels with her, isn't fake. Toushiro knows he loves Rukia.

Taking her hand he forms a circle of ice around her wrist, in the form of a promise to her in a way only he could show- in a way only he knew how.

White crystal, silver stones and cold ice, she loves it.

"I love you Rukia" a blush on his cheeks, rarely he says it first and each time a pink tint aligns his cheeks, she loves that about him. His childish features on his grown spirit.

"I love you Toushiro" she kisses him, gently and soft- like snow.

In their world of ice and snow, cold and isolated from everything and everyone, it is only them.

________________________________________________

Orbs of light and soft blue stood beside the other, in their world of cold white.

"_My master is happy_"

"_Yes, as is Rukia_"

"_I'm glad_"

"_As am I_" looking at the other, Hyourinmaru and Sode no Shirayuki continued to watch from afar, the love their masters shared for each other making the snow fall around them, dancing on the wind it brought.

Both swords were glad, their masters had found someone to share the cold with.

___________________________________________________

Me- nya! How was that! After watching the zanpakutou filler arc I thought this would be so perfect!

Of course Hyourinmaru and Sode no Shirayuki are just friends and comrades! It's all about the love between Toushiro and Rukia here!

So! Please read and review your thoughts kay? Hopefully I'll up-date faster before my HitsuRuki mojo decides to disappear on me ne?


	25. Chapter 25 Forbidden lover

This time, for a reason I'm keeping secret, I was inspired to write a part two of chapter two. And although you don't have to I think it'd be best to read chapter two before reading this chapter. It'll make more sense.

* * *

She had always known her life would be short. A life of living in the shadows of men, perfect and petite like a wound up doll on display.

She would be never asked a question on what her thoughts were about the world, never talked unless spoke to, a beautiful smile on her dressed up face. Kuchiki Rukia was a woman in a world ruled by men.

And when her brother died, leaving her as the only blood relative of the Kuchiki fortune; in an instant the world knew of her existence.

She was asked questions of how she would spend the fortune, her plans for the trade, men of class and nobility suddenly bombarded her daily and soon Rukia was the main focus of the townsfolk.

But- that wasn't what she wanted… what Rukia wanted, she didn't even know.

What was the point? To forever live in the shadow of her brother, to be looked at as a Kuchiki rather than a woman, what point was there in this world if she could never truly live?

That was how Rukia went day by day, for years of her life, until fate turned on her and put her on the grand stage alone, with thousands upon millions of faces in the audience.

As Kuchiki, she gained the attention of the world, but as Rukia, she got the attention of no one.

But one.

A man. Unlike any other.

* * *

One day, with white hair and glowing green orbs on lightly moon kissed skin. That day she had met with the Prime Minister with England and other kings and queens of nobility, in a room filled with strangers, he stood behind them all in a cloak of midnight blue; his eyes on only her.

Their eyes locked for a moment, a single heartbeat before her eyes were forced to be turn away, she spoke fluently in another language- perfect and noble.

When she turned back to check the man's eyes once more, he was gone.

"Lady Kuchiki?"

"Yes? I'm sorry"

"I asked what your plans were on marriage"

"…I do not wish to look for marriage, good sir" placing that slightly strained smile on her porcelain face Rukia excused herself and stepped down.

Casting her dark purple orbs across the room for that one man, Rukia couldn't help but let a scoff escape her lips. Of all men, of all times, why here? Why that man? Who was her but a stranger…

He was a stranger, another man who thought of her as a prize to the Kuchiki fortune, nothing more. All men around her were like that, what made this man so different.

Taking her leave towards the balcony, closing the fine glass doors behind her the young woman looked to the moon, the night sky she was ever so familiar with.

"You find the moon as beautiful as I do?"

Startled by the deep voice that formed through the cool air, Rukia felt a pressure on her soul and a calmness flooding her blood

"Do you see her as an object, good sir?" she heard her voice speak

"…"

"Or perchance as a symbol?" casting her dark purple orbs up at the man as she stepped from the shadows, his bright green orbs so rare and unique- glowing under the moon's kiss.

"She is as important as her brother Sun" holding her gaze, Rukia felt her heartbeat race but calmly and poised the young heiress turned to look away and back at the white orb

"What if sister Moon did not wish to be compared to her brother Sun?" she shouldn't be talking about this. This topic she had avoided for years, with smiles and dances, faint promises that were never kept, Rukia was ever weary of this topic. Always. These words that came from her heart.

And yet, here she was talking to this man, this stranger with piercing green orbs of glowing emerald, this unearthly being under the moon's gaze, her beams dancing on his white hair.

Here she was.

"I would tell sister Moon, she needn't be weary" he smiled, still looking at the girl with his tall being- cloaked in midnight blue and shadow

"Why good sir?"

"…"

"Pray tell this soul of a wounded woman" her breath light on winter's touch, Rukia looked to the man holding his gaze she would not turn away.

"Brother Sun is not that who rules you _Princess_"

"..then who, who if not Brother Sun" she demanded, a question once uttered she regretted asking. Rukia did not want to know who ruled her, she did not want to be ruled any longer…and yet, this question was spoken- tossed to the wind never able to be returned to her lips, her inner world.

Her secrets.

The man smiled gently, fondly into her eyes- into her soul, and a moment her gaze held haze and a silent whisper off into the distance didn't answer her, before she was consumed by darkness and warmth.

* * *

"Leave me be"

"But Lady-"

"Leave me! I care not for your tidings!"

"Y-yes My Lady" the servant bowed, turning to close her oaken grand room doors, shutting Rukia in her chambers. Away from it all.

Rukia now aged into adulthood, womanhood. Fit and long of proper age to marry, bear an heir to her family name- her fortune, her life to be given- taken away. Resting in her bed of white feather and silk, as white as the moon upon her French glass window doors- just beyond her reach

Rukia closed her eyes and dreamed of him. Of the nights he would come to her, in secret and midnight blue shadow his emerald eyes searching her soul.

Years, once every few months she would see him again. Without warning, without a word- always behind her, just beyond her reach; never against her touch.

Tonight she would wait again and then no more.

A gentle wind blows her glass doors open, the breeze a light aroma of a smell- his smell; roses and…

A heat by her bed, he is leaning in over her body- hovering, watchful of any movement. She knows he knows she is awake, but he plays along.

A feathery stroke along her cheek, running white touches through her black locks of raven, over her forehead, the crease of her eyelids, the tip of her nose; a delicate forbidden touch of her lips.

"Wake my Moon, my _Princess_" he whispers

"What have you for me, good sir, your promise?" her violet orbs open and wide against the black of her hair, the flush of her pink cheeks

"I have, if you still wish it of me"

"I do, I always have" slowly he caresses her face, his cold hand a beacon to her warmth, Rukia leans in to him as he falls onto her- gentle and soft, weary almost, pained even at the prospect and yet, in his eyes she saw. The glow of love, the radiance of her unto him; finally to be one with another- with her.

Rukia keeps her eyes on him, his face decending until the heat of his breath fell on her neck, her heartbeat only breaking the silence as a light kiss on her skin makes her gasp in surprise. And then…

The smell of blood.

* * *

She had always known that her life was a short one, a mortal life behind the shadows of a dead brother, a dead family better left forgotten in histories long weave.

Rukia knew all of this and yet, the moment she met him.

Nothing else mattered anymore.

She was mortal and he vampire.

* * *

Me- Hahah although the up-dates are FREAKIN' long (so sorry about it really!) I'm always so proud of myself when I write chapters like these, don't you think so?

Please read AND review! don't just alert tell me why you alert dang it!


	26. Chapter 26 Last Words

Here's another one for all who've been faithfully waiting!

Head's up thought….it's another tragedy/angst one-shot... Sorry!

* * *

How long ago was it? One week? Two months? Three years? It feels like a lifetime since we've been together…now looking back I can't help but want nothing more than to return to that time.

When we were lovers.

When nothing in the world mattered to us.

When…you were still here with me.

* * *

"Rukia where are you taking me?"

"You'll see Toushiro, just be patient" grabbing hold of the white haired boy's hand, his petite raven haired girlfriend had one of her brilliant ideas of dragging him out of his warm cozy bed at an ungodly hour of a would be perfectly normal Saturday and pull him around Tokyo station towards Shibuya.

…oh God no…Shibuya!?!?!

"R-Rukia please tell me you're not-" green eyes widened in horror!

"You got it! There's a new shipment of Chappy things at ChappyLove in Shibuya and I need to be the first person there!"

"But why the hell do you need me there?!" he hated shopping! Especially in Shibuya on Saturday…when the women came out…

Toushiro shuttered in fear, women and shopping were two of the scariest combos the world had the horror of discovering since the beginning of time. And his girlfriend on a Chappy high was just-

"I need you to carry my things"

"Damn it Rukia you woke me up for this?!" pulling his hand back to stop them, the boy looked into dark purple orbs

"But Toushiro!"

"No buts Rukia, you know how much I hate shopping! I don't get why you love that damn rabbit thing anyway!"

"Chappy isn't a thing! He's more than that!"

"I don't care, I'm going home" seeing the darkness in her boyfriends eyes and the bags under his eyes for a split moment Rukia felt guilty for waking the boy, he needed his sleep since working this new job was different than his last. But. That was just for a split moment before he began to turn and leave, that was when Rukia decided to pull out the big guns.

Her ultimate weapon. Tears. A small red nose. Big watery eyes. A pout on her pink lips. And a shivering petite body.

Hook. Line. And sinker.

"B-but we never spend time together a-anymore a-and I just want-ted to be with you Toushiro"

"A-ah Rukia, d-don't cry!" looking panicked and suddenly guilty for making Rukia cry, Toushiro did the only thing he could do.

Taking a step closer to the raven haired girl, he brought his arms around her smaller form and held her close to his heart. Apologizing over and over again.

He never saw the smile on her sweet face.

* * *

"See was that so hard?"

"If I have Chappy nightmares tonight, I'm blaming you"

"That's never going to happen Toushiro, Chappy would never be a nightmare!" smiling like a child coming from the grand opening of a candy store, Rukia beamed with the innocence that won Toushiro's heart.

The boy found her smile infectious. As a grin appeared on his lightly tanned face as well, although he wouldn't say it he loved Rukia. More than he often let on but he knew she knew, without words the two of them had a connection, something that ran deeper than love.

A bond between their souls.

"Yeah yeah sure" rolling his eyes at the girl, he missed the small hand that found its way into his own.

"Thank you Toushiro, for coming here with me, I had fun" looking up at the boy, Rukia leaned onto him lightly and gently, the tip of her head on his shoulder,

He looked down at her and couldn't help but blush, his proud smile on his face

"Anything for you Rukia"

"You know we should go out tonight, for dinner"

"More going out?"

"What's so wrong about that?"

"Why?? Why not just eat at home"

"…I can't cook"

"I-…uhh" just almost he was about to imply he would cook! "fine we'll eat out"

"Really?! Great! I know a place-!" before Rukia could finish her sentence however, it happened.

Flashes of dark colors, the flush of white hair running after the shadowed man, screaming and yelling, her heartbeat in her throat, the resounding echo of a gun shot.

And then…blood.

Red and falling white. A scream from the soul. Tears running down a torn face.

Last words.

A kiss.

Fading green…

Nothing.

* * *

I remember that day so clearly…how I wish I didn't.

I miss you. So much it hurts.

Holding herself tight Rukia let her tears run down her face, dampening her bed sheets what did it matter anymore? There was no one to share it with her anymore. No warm body beside hers at night. No green eyes in the morning. No smooth loving voice telling her goodnight.

No more anything.

Hiding behind her raven hair, her swollen weeping eyes, the torn voice of her cries; Rukia didn't see- couldn't see upon the window frost.

Right beside her, always there to be her sky were words- for her.

"_Don't cry, Rukia_"

* * *

Me- yeah…this was a bit sad even for me. Hopefully the next installment will be on a lighter note? Haha I have no idea myself, whenever inspiration decides to hit me again I'll let ya'll know!

If I don't file for a lawsuit that is hahah

Please read and review!


	27. Chapter 27 Winter's Kiss

Cute fluff today! Hope you enjoy this one and the next chapter because….. The next next chapter will be a sad one :3

What can I say? I've been told there my specialty

* * *

Working diligently at his desk, the tenth division captain was about to finish his final piece of work when the sound of familiar footsteps resounded annoyingly in his ears.

"Taichou!" Matsumoto.

Opening his chamber doors without a moments hesitation, the strawberry blonde strutted angrily up to his desk and pouted

"What is it Matsumoto, I'm trying to work here"

"You know what! I hate winter! It's not a season you can drink sake outside and party all day!"

"What?"

"Well, in the spring it's best to drink sake under the cherry-"

"That's not what I meant Matsumoto, why are you here telling me you don't like winter?" the white haired boy scolded, he loved winter- it was his season; to hear from his lieutenant that she didn't like it, even hated it, kind of irked him.

"Like you don't know!" she glared at the boy, her grey eyes piercing.

"I don't now if you'll leave so I can-"

"It's snowing outside!"

"What?!" that was not what he expected! Looking at the woman before him she walked behind his desk and opened the windows, letting what he had missed all day, to appear before his sight.

From the very small window sill to the high walls of the outer parts of Soul Society, everything was covered in a thick light blanket of pure snow. Lightly tinted purple on innocence white fluttered on the gentle cool breeze, newly snow and ice crystals formed on tree branches and roof tops.

The sight momentarily took Hitsugaya's breath. He was able to create ice, with the occasional frost and snowfall but this. This was-

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"How could you taichou! It's not suppose to snow in Soul Society, and you're the only one who can make it-"

"No I'm not" he simply stated, as if it were common knowledge. Closing his eyes, Hitsugaya focused his reiatsu over all of Soul Society until he found the cause.

"Taichou?"

"Matsumoto have you finished your work yet?"

"..gah...uhh well" glaring up at his lieutenant with cool green eyes, Matsumoto quickly got the idea and left with a fickle excuse. Leaving the white haired boy to his own before placing himself back down onto his seat; Hitsugaya let out a sigh and looked out the window.

It was still snowing.

With that the tiny captain got up and shunpoed towards the cause. Curious as to why, of all times of the year this person chose to make it snow now.

* * *

A bob of black raven hair sat at the top of the highest hill in Soul Society. Dangling her little feet over the edge, Rukia let her purple gazed watch over the snow covered city of the afterlife. When a voice broke her thoughts

"I thought it was you Kuchiki"

"Hm? Ah! Hitsugaya-taichou?!" turning to look at the tenth division captain as he stood behind her a few feet away, his arms crossed over his small chest.

"People have been coming up to me, asking why I've made it snow"

"Uh-"

"Well Kuchiki?" giving the fellow shinigami a look with his stern green eyes, purple orbs widened a bit before pale cheeks flushed lightly with pink. Rukia quickly got up and bowed

"I'm sorry Hitsugaya-taichou, I didn't think anyone would care if-"

"You decided to cover all of Soul Society in snow, is that it?" smirking at the darker shade of pink on the fellow ice and snow zanpakutou wielder's face, Hitsugaya took a step closer until he was out looking the city.

"With all due respect Hitsugaya-taichou, you can't make it snow can you?" being of similar sword types, each shinigami was able to hone in on others just like them and see the strengths of their abilities. While Rukia was able to make snow, Hitsugaya was able to make ice.

"No I can't Kuchiki"

"I'm sorry" bowing once more to the smaller shinigami, Rukia turned to look over the city, stopping the sky's snowfall. Both protectors of their afterlife city, stared and gazed at the white covered city, Hitsugaya felt a small smile form on his face.

"It's beautiful"

"H-huh?"

"Your snow, it's worthy of it's name" not taking his eyes off of the scenery, he saw from the edge of his eyes the raven haired Kuchiki smile and caress her sword

"Thank you Hitsugaya-taichou, both Sode no Shirayuki and I are honored to hear that from you"

Silence filled the two ice and snow wielders but neither of the two tried to fill it. There was no need really.

Winter was a time of relaxation, calmness, peace. A time of sleeping and rebirth. An innocence that protected the world for another year of heartbreak and war.

Neither shinigami was the talking type when it came down to watching their ability, their essence of the truest sense take all of their home under its cool wing and settle over everything in a blanket of soft white.

"Will you get in trouble Hitsugaya-taichou?" Rukia suddenly asked, worry in her purple eyes as she looked to the white haired captain

"No, so far people have asked because it was odd, but a light snowfall shouldn't harm anyone into accusing me of anything"

"I really am sorry I-"

"Don't apologize Kuchiki, though-"

"Yes?"

"I'd like to know why you made it snow, I didn't think you possessed the ability to do this much" seeing as how to be able to manipulate the seasons took strong reiatsu and concentration; both of which he didn't know the young Kuchiki had.

He knew she was a strong shinigami, having heard most of her missions were a success from captain's meetings and the occasional gossip, but it took him years to master Hyourinmaru and then even more years to be able to manipulate the sky and winds.

"I don't really know why sir, I just felt Soul Society needed…." breaking her gaze from the cit to the captain on her left, Rukia smiled "Needed a time to just relax and enjoy."

Her eyes of dark purple, Hitsugaya let his green eyes meet Rukia's for a moment that lasted a bit longer than necessary before turning back his gaze to the city

"Then I think we're going to need more snow" with that, the white haired captain let his reiatsu spread out and into the sky, letting tiny crystals of blue ice fall with purple flakes of snow.

Together, both Rukia and Hitsugaya let their ice and snow take Soul Society into a gentle hold of winter's kiss.

* * *

Me- c'est fini! What did you all think? This was based on two things! The bleach episode 255 or 256 when Toushiro and Rukia actually talked with each other!!!!! And the fact that there is about ten feet of snow outside my house right now.

There is so much it closed school for five days!!!! ….though not in a row but within the same week or so- give or take.

Anyway! Please read and review and I'll get to working on the next fluff chapter before the tragedy that will befall the next one!


	28. Chapter 28 Liar

Rated: T

Dark thoughts once more my angsty dears!

* * *

He is seated amongst his family, his cousin Momo laughing with his aunt Rangiku. His father at the head of the table with his mother on his right, and brother in law on his left. The baby, his aunt and uncle just had, so innocent and beautiful- is crying.

He watches as his aunt gets up and places a pacifier into the babies mouth, and once again everyone is laughing and enjoying dinner.

He smiles at them and begins to pick at his food when he hears her. In the back of his mind- always there, always…..

_Do it_. She whispers into his ear, planting ideas into his head.

He's tried to ignore her, her words were poison, bad for him. He had a future-but.

The voice was so beautiful. Sometimes, when he listened to her, she's let him see her face. Her stunning purple eyes and midnight black hair.. White skin and petite frame..

She was an angel. And she had chosen him- among the billions of other humans, people on this earth, she chose him.

He knew he shouldn't but- the promises she gave him.

_I'll take you there, where the skies are open and free. _

_Where there is no pain._

_No worries._

_White as snow and pure as light….._

_I'll take you there. Where we can be together…_

How many years has she been telling him these? Two, three, ten years? Too many to count- he knows it's not normal to hear voices in his head.

He's an A plus student with a 4.0 GPA. He's got colleges begging him to attend their schools and many friends in high places, he has a future.

But her voice- and those promises.

_Do it_. She whispers again, more urgent than the last. And his heart is beating in his chest as if he had just ran a race. He grabs his drink and swallows- play the part, act normal. So that no one will notice…

_Do it! _And he can see her face is twisted with pain, and he can't bear to see her like that. Her purple eyes are wide with would be tears- reaching out to him with her tiny hands, they fix so perfectly with his own.

_DO IT!_ she screams.

There is a flash of white.

Screams surround him.

He is playing with red and white.

And he is _**smiling**_.

* * *

He is standing in a room of people, his hands tied behind his back. He plays with his fingers and still feels the dried blood on them, he is sure that he is colored in red. Its dripping off his face and in his white hair, his clothes smell and he is staring at the person in black.

Murmurs surround him and the person behind him grabs him and forces him closer to the man in black.

"Hitsugaya Toushirou, you are found guilty of homicide in the first degree, how do you plead." The man in black is looking at him with disgust, and he can't help think.

Does he know her voice? Have any of them heard her? No. just him- because he was chosen.

But then he closes his eyes and tries to hear her. Her voice which tells him to do the things he wouldn't. He sees, in his mind- black and purple but no one.

Where is she? He clenches his eyes shut, and ignores the man as he asks him again. He calls out to the voice, his angel. Where is she!

And then he sees her. A flash of black amidst his foggy dark mind, he calls out to her and she stops in mid flight.

"I listen to you- I did what you asked of me. Now- we can be together. We can-" He begins, his eyes wide and in adoration. He is shaking now, trying to get to his heaven sent angel.

But- she is shaking, and he hears her laugh. What he once heard bells, he now hears screams and it claws into his body and tears him from the inside.

She looks to him with her wide purple eyes, a large smile on her face. And she flies to him, her hand clawing down his cheek.

"_I lied_." She whispers into his ear and her black wings spread, covering his eyes until he can no longer see.

* * *

And he _**screams**_. His eyes wide and his body shaking.

The man in black calls for the guards to hold him down. The people are shocked into silence for a moment before murmuring about his future.

He screams over and over again.

"Don't take me! She promised me! She promised me! She PROMISED!"

They don't listen to him, and he feels a sharpness in his arm before his body goes limp. His mind becomes foggy and his sight begins to darken- and he sees her,

Large purple eyes, midnight black hair…white skin and petite frame. Her wings are white and she whispers to him with a smile.

"_Do it_."


	29. Chapter 29 Hello Again

Rating: K+

To all my lovelies! Readers and anons! Hi~ I'm back, and recently my brain as been popping with HitsuRuki one-shots! soooooooooooooo here's a sample of what I've got up my sleeves, after my unintenional hiatus (coma)

Haha I should be finishing my draft for one of my finals (this Tuesday!) but here I got myself distracted and because I'm such a loving author, who could no longer deny her readers Hitsuruki pleasure (as I am one of the originals!) I just had to upload this~ inspiration to a certain disease that needs A LOT more awareness than it gets, because it is very real.

anyway, onto the angst! with a little twist!

* * *

He sat there beside her. Just sitting, watching her as she looked out the window.

She didn't do anything, not that he expected it of her, she just sat in her chair with her petite hands gently folded on her lap, a slump in her back and her head titled just slightly onto the window pane.

He gazed at her, as she remained in her own little world, a place he used to be a constant visitor in- how broad and magnificent it was, no doubt now reduced to a small room-

He looked at her three-quarter view and saw her wide eyes just staring, unblinking and-just staring at nothing. He saw her face was still beautiful and youthful despite the claims of her situation.

Sitting back into his chair, he looked around the place she now called home, others sitting in chairs and others just as silent as her, youth talking to them and smiling down at them. The room was too- not her.

Not them.

She had no right to be here, no reason to be sitting her with that blank face and eyes that just stare...

Toushiro sighed and forced out his anger, getting frustrated wouldn't help him or her- anger never settled anything; even though it was all he could do to not kill the doctor when he told them...

He looked back at her, his eyes growing to a soft minty green, and he began talking, gently and in a tone he never used towards anyone other than her. He began asking her questions,

How was your day?

Did you have a pleasant dream?

Are you making any friends?

Slowly, he began to ask less and talk more; telling her about his day, how university was, how their friends were- it...hurt. Hurt him to talk like this, about a life she no longer could enjoy- but, the doctors said- said anything that might help her,

And so he talked, saying how he missed her sad excuse of cooking, and how he had told the drama club about her acting skills and how the art club would surely love to teach her how to draw rabbits.

He spoke softly and for hours on end, as he would everyday- as he had been doing for three years now.

And she still sat in her chair, hands folded perfectly in her lap, head titled just slightly- an unconscious habit she did when she was daydreaming, and how he hoped she was doing just that instead of just staring... her wide purple gaze unblinking at nothing.

Toushiou remembers when those eyes looked at him, when they looked at the world in wonder and awe and determination. He remembers her voice- _god_ how he wanted to hear it just once more, laughing, singing, just- talking to him, about him, about their friends, her family, dreams and hopes.

He remembers their plans, to get an apartment together and go to university together and graduate together, and then get married; maybe travel before settling down with good jobs and then maybe starting a family, with a boy and a two girls.

But-

Those dreams were snatched from them before they had a chance to even graduate high school.

It was gradual and she said it was because she was getting old, they'd laugh and forget it ever happened. Until it happened again, and again, and again- until they could no longer ignore it.

Her parents and he took her to the doctor and they took scans, when the results came in- he remembers her mother crying, he remembers her father holding his wife- face even more grave but his eyes, were bright, with un-shed tears.

And- he remembers silence. As if he watched it all from above in flashing images of black and white and purple; until he got home as she convinced him to not stay the night with her- that she needed to be with her family, he finally let it all out.

He screamed, he yelled and he broke everything in his room, he tore at his sheets and threw his books, kicked his soccer ball into his television and slammed into his walls with clenched fists.

WHY? GOD, why the fuck her?

Why not him! Why not someone else?

_Why them_...

The doctors said it was a rarity to hit someone so young, but it was possible. He said it was genetics mostly (this made the mother cry even harder) but it wasn't anyone's fault. They had medicine to slow the progress but-

Eventually...

Rukia.

Would no longer remember anything, or anyone.

She would forget her friends, people she's known for years, she's forget her family and loved ones; she'd forget herself, her name, her likes and dislikes and personality.

She would forget how to eat, to walk, to blink,

She would be reverted into a baby without the ability to care for herself, she would forget how to dress herself and talk.

And eventually her body would forget how to-

Toushiro bit his lip until he was sure he could tastes the copper of his blood. Breaking into a smile, praying it wasn't forced he looked up from his lap and towards Rukia, his everything, and was about to go on how the soccer team asked for him again- but he wouldn't join because then he wouldn't be able to visit her after classes, when he stopped short.

Wide unblinking purple eyes stared back at him.

And for a moment his heart stopped and he hoped- _m-maybe?_

Could it be, that after three years- she- Rukia remembers him?

Could they slowly go back to before? Could she start school? He'd help her, they wouldn't be able to graduate together but he could get a better paying job and wait for her until she finished, they could still get an apartment together- he had a small one now- she could move in and they'd be together.

They could get jobs and then take a year off to travel, and then get married in Rome- just as how she had always planned, honeymoon in Spain and get a house back in Japan. They'd start a family and have a boy and two girls and...

and...

Rukia just stared at him, and Toushiro could feel his heart drop so far so fast it left him feeling sick.

No. They couldn't do that, because Rukia wasn't going to get better, she would never get better, and he- he would have to face that. Somehow,

Looking into her face, a tiny bubble of happiness tickled his heart- she was looking in his direction at least, he smiled and tentatively reached out to cup her soft white hands.

"It's me Toushiro, Rukia. Do you remember me?" it was a useless question but he had to ask; she just stared at him, unblinking and emotionless but he still reached up and tried to brush her single stubborn fringe from her face only to have it fall back into place.

He laughed, and he could feel the tears begin to form at the edges of his eyes, and he knew it was time to go- he never let her see him weak, even now, he got up and gently placed a kiss on her forehead before smiling down at her one last time before he bid her goodbye for today.

In his mad rush to leave, _these damn tears_, he missed how Rukia's eyes, wide and unblinking stared at the place he once was seated.

He missed the slightest twitch of eye movement, as she ever so slowly blinked.

And he missed, the lightest of whispers, in a voice that hadn't spoken in three years.

"_Hello again."_


	30. Chapter 30 Tonight

Rating: T (might be light M)

not for the kiddies! Beware!

(but this has been playing in my head for a while, so...don't judge me!)

* * *

"I-it's not what you think!" she says, but he knows better, the late phone calls, her coming home later and later and leaving for longer- saying she's hanging out with her friends... he knew it but- to see it.

To see her, in _their_ bed with—another man. With his wavy brown hair and dark brown eyes, her brown almost black hair running down her bare back as she stares at him with her own brown owns bright with unshed tears and her face flushed- with embarrassment or residual lust he can't tell but he's not staying to find out.

With a disgusted look at her, he glares at the man for a good measure- a match between men. Before he turns and leaves,

"You can keep her, and she can keep the house." The gasp he hears from her lips makes him remember how her face looks, a blush along her small cheeks and her eyes that glow with only him in her sight. He burns the image in his head and he slams the door to their house close behind him, ignoring her calls for him until the roar of the engine of his car is all he can hear.

He goes out, anywhere and nowhere in mind, parks the car at a restaurant and wanders the city- its late, eleven at night and he doesn't want to go home. So he wanders the streets, with their blurring lights and loud late owls, drunks and college students on break, its New York, the city that never sleeps, and its all he can do.

He doesn't go for a drink, because in his rush to leave the house he's forgotten his wallet, his I.D, his everything but the keys. If only he could have forgotten the memories...

People pass him in their nightly stupor, and he just pushes past them all, ignoring the angry voices of drunks and students and adults; he wanders with his hands deep in his pocket and his head down so caught in his own world he almost misses her voice.

"Need help?"

He stops, because it feels like forever since anyone has asked him that and in a moment he feels relief that someone cares before he is flooded with annoyance and hate.

"Fuck off," he doesn't mean it but the words come out without him knowing- its self-defense really.

"I can't, at least not on my own." She responds, a light tone to her voice and he turns back at her once the words settle in. He looks at her and he is taken aback, she's small but not smaller than the other girl- the one he left, her hair is black and shining under the New York lights and her big bright purple eyes are shadowed in a misty gray.

Her clothes show her profession, and his mouth goes dry.

She smiles at him, and its not mocking, or pitiful... and he doesn't understand it but before he can stop himself, he grabs her hand and takes her away- to where he isn't sure but the feelings he has now are all consuming and bubbling within him; threatening to cascade out of his mouth.

She seems to understand and tells him directions towards a place she knows all too well. They go in and she waves at the doorman, and they go up to her usual room, high up on the sixth floor. The door isn't locked, it never is; and he closes it behind them.

From the inside, it is then locked.

* * *

No words are exchanged between them and she's used to this, so she lets her body go, relaxed, as he strips her and himself in a flurry of movement and panting.

Her heart is racing and there is a flush to her cheeks and she knows that's going to turn him on even more as it so often does her other clients. His eyes, a minty green, flash and his lips are on her pale neck, biting and sucking and kissing; as his hands wander.

Her dress slips and is thrown to the ground, his shirt is gone. His shoes and her heels, his pants and her bra. He's only in his boxers and she admires his toned body- tan and pink with heat, she can feel his heart race and he is panting into her ear.

She's hot and he is too, and she wants to keep playing so she drags her hands down his back and chest wantonly and morphs her face into the seductive and yet oh so innocent woman she loves to play as, he moans in response and he moves.

His hand reach between her legs, playing with her underwear already wet and she moans, biting her lips because she's not suppose to make those kinds of noises when its these kinds of guys. They like to dominate and they want passion and lust- no words, no promises and kisses or caresses.

Rough and fast. In her head, she's already counting the money and the time; until he looks down at her and her eyes clash with his own and she's on another world suddenly breathless and cold.

She's uncomfortable down there and she arches up into his hand, his other hand is holding her face thumb across her lips and she opens to let him in- but he doesn't take the invitation and instead does something she has never let any other of her clients do.

He kisses her lips.

And its soft, and warm and loving- and it hurts her. She can feel him, his emotions, the words he refuses to say to himself and the pain he is trying so hard to hide, there is fear and anger...and so much love...

He breaks away and looks at her once more, when she nods, he peals her last article of clothing away along with his own and in an instant they are one.

Its rough and fast and it hurts, but she forces her body to relax and the bed shakes with their movement but she doesn't say anything and his panting is the only sound she hears- burning it into her mind. His eyes are closed and his face is red and there is sweat on his brow hiding within his white hair, and she doesn't look away.

His mouth is tight and she gets the feeling he is trying to forget something- someone; they normally do. She doesn't know what she's feeling within her heart but its a bubbling sort of feeling- heavy and gray, she's not so young to not know what this is but she can't help it.

She reaches up- against her better judgment, and moves her body with his rushed thrusts and she whispers, quietly and gentle.

"It's okay, everything will be okay." He freezes for a moment, and she has this sinking feeling that she's done something so horrible wrong, before he slows down and drops his head into the crook of her shoulder and head. He reaches from the position of holding himself up to holding her tight and intimate,

"There, there; I'm right here." She pats his head and he moves against her slow and true, and she can only hold on a little longer before she grips him a little too hard and she lets go, he soon follows seconds later.

They are out of breath and he pulls out of her and falls beside her on the bed.

There is silence in their room as life outside still goes on, she looks at the clock on the wall; 3:40AM, it's late- or rather, early, she doesn't really know.

But she knows that whatever this is, is over and she counts the money in her head before she feels the bed dip and turns to see him look at her, his face emotionless.

"I'm sorry," he speaks for the first time and so many things go through her head, she can't stop the laugh that comes out of her mouth,

"Sorry? That isn't something many people say after a session with me,"

"I-"

"Was this your first time?" she asks and the aura he once had suddenly changes, and he is shy and awkward and she thinks he looks cute.

"I've had sex before, but with a- not like this, yes; this is my first time," he answers finally, looking up at her from the pillow they are sharing.

The things that run through her head continue at a thousand miles per second, but one look from him and she stops.

"You don't have any money do you?" its not really a question, more of a hunch. Though judging from the blush on his cheeks, she guessed right.

"I can pay you-" he starts, a determined look in his eyes and he sits up, looking down at her as she props her head up on one arm, the other covering her body with the thin sheets.

"Tell me your name in exchange," she doesn't normally act like this, but something about him. Something she can't explain- its warm like a mother's love, its beating and fast like a lover, and it feel familiar like a friend; makes her want to help him.

Help him forget, help him heal the pain she felt in their kiss. If only for a moment...

He looks at her oddly, but there is still a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye and he smiles down at her;

"Only if you tell me yours." He understands, and she reaches up to pull him back down, he lets her and falls beside her on the bed- tucked under the sheets arms unconsciously pulling her small body towards his own.

"Rukia," she introduces and they share a smile as if they have known each other for all their lives, and she doesn't know where they will be when the morning breaks but tonight...

"Toushirou." He says, breaking her train of thought and looks at her with his minty green eyes- as if understanding what's going on in her head, and for tonight...

Just for the night, they let themselves forget.


	31. Chapter 31 Basket Full

For all those lovely couples (single people raise your hands!) out there! Keep them close and love them dearly k? (us single people will just eat our own chocolates~)

BTW: if anyone is confused as to what happened and what I hinted at, just message me~

Also, beware! This is totally AU!

Rating: K+

* * *

The sound of banging on his door reminded Toushiro of what he was planning and already in the process of doing, a glare found its way onto his lightly tanned face as he debated on whether to ignore the door and go about his business or….

"HEY Toushiro! Open up the damn door!" Ichigo.

"We know you're in there!" Renji.

Damn it. Why did they have to come here of all times?

Knowing he couldn't get rid of the annoying pair he called his friends, Toushiro put down the things he was doing and went to his door to glare at his intruders.

"What do you guys want?" Icy mint green eyes looked up to amber and brown eyes as the two came in unceremoniously.

"We came by because we were bored," Ichigo said, falling onto the chair in the white haired boy's small apartment.

"But why here?"

"We can't come and just visit our good friend? That's cold Toushiro." Renji joked, flipping on the T.V.

"Not when I have things to do,"

"You always say that, what do you do anyway?" Ichigo asked, raising an incredulous orange brow to his much shorter friend.

"Things, and right now I have important things to do, so get out." Toushiro swiped his remote from the redhead earning a _hey_ before glaring down at the two.

"Come on Toushiro, we're bored here. Rukia couldn't hang out either, and we had nowhere else to go." Renji tried, only to get a curious white brow raised.

"So you come to me so you can lounge around my apartment?"

"Yes." Came the simultaneous response as the white haired boy sighed, crossing his arms he was unable to completely hide his smirk when Ichigo asked.

"What is it that you're doing in there anyway?" perking his head from where he was seated to look into the kitchen,

"Nothing." Toushiro answered just a bit too fast, and before he could stop them; Renji had jumped the couch and ran into the kitchen with Toushiro on his heels.

"No! damn it. Renji!"

"What the hell…"

Ichigo calmly got up from the chair and strolled into the kitchen, his own amber eyes widening in surprise.

"Are you….baking?"

Two pairs of eyes glanced from the small island counter to their small friend and then back at the mess.

Boxes of empty cake batter lay on the table. Large bowls filled with white messy dough. Spoons, whisks, forks, picks and other silverware scattered in a mess. Flower, egg shells, milk, and powered dust on an apron thrown to the ground in haste; yep, Hitsugaya Toushiro was baking alright.

"Why the hell are you baking?" Ichigo asked, unable to comprehend his friend, the small but ever grumpy and never-to-do-something-so-demeaning-as-baking friend since junior high; would be in the kitchen with the intent of making cookies and cake.

"You hate sweets," Renji stated, also reaching the same conclusion Ichigo had just finished.

"Who are they for?"

"No one, I never said I didn't like cookies, I just said-"

"'I hate sweets; I don't see why everyone thinks they're so good. They're disgusting' I think were your words" Renji smirked, remembering the first time he and Ichigo and Rukia had tried to make Toushiro eat a piece of candy Rukia got from her uncle.

"…."

"Face it Toushiro, these aren't for you so then who are they for?"

"Yeah, I never even knew you knew how to bake,"

Crossing the room in silence, the white haired boy tried to figure a way out of the situation. He could lie and say they were for his cousin Hinamori's birthday….but Ichigo and Renji knew him better than that. They both knew he would never bake for anyone even his own cousin, he'd rather take her out to dinner or something; never something so time consuming and intimate.

The only way he could see out was…..

"I learned how to bake from my mom, before she died."

"Ah," the redhead nodded, understanding his friend's soft words. He looked over to Ichigo and asked, "You want us to help out?"

"No. I want to do it myself, connection to her and all that, you know?" he knew he was being a bastard for using his mom as his excuse, but there was no way he could tell Renji and especially Ichigo why he was baking.

Besides, he figured, if his mother were there with him now, she's try to help him in any way she could. She loved her son just as she loved her husband.

"Alright, we'll head out now then, see you Toushiro." The redhead stated as he pat the smaller boy on the back and headed out, when he called out to Ichigo however, both guys saw their orange haired friend was staring at some cookies already baked and set on the table to cool off.

And for a moment, Toushiro bit his lip to prevent the loud string of curses he wanted, so badly to yell out, just to divert Ichigo's eyes.

The truth as to why Toushiro was baking was staring at him right in the face.

* * *

On the table set away from the rest of the uncooked materials was a basket of cookies in the shape of rabbits. Instantly, the words Rukia and Chappy came to Ichigo's mind and the brown eyed guy looked over to his shorter friend with confusion.

"Toushiro…are these…are you- baking cookies for my girlfriend?" a flash of anger and the will to protect what was his glared in Ichigo's eyes before they dulled to a curious eye.

"I-" he didn't mean to but Toushiro looked away for an instant and Ichigo was off.

"Why are you baking for Rukia? Are you trying to-" before he could grab his friend's shirt, Renji stepped between the two.

"Ichigo man chill out,"

"He's cooking for Rukia, Renji." Normally, Ichigo wasn't so easy to make jealous, or scared; but this was Toushiro and Rukia. This was his friend since middle school, this was his girlfriend for three years….if he hadn't seen the looks between them, the lingering touches and random smiles, Ichigo would never have to feel the need to be between his friends. But he had seen the looks, and the touches, and the smiles….and he knew that cooking, though a simple act of friendship and a kind heart was innocent, Toushiro didn't cook for anyone; especially for a friend's girlfriend….unless...

"You-"

"Open up the damn door Ichigo! Renji! Toushiro!" the voice from the other side of the door yelled, earning three shocked pairs of eyes.

Renji looked to Ichigo and Toushiro and glared at them both. "Don't kill each other until I get back got that." It wasn't a question.

Heading to the door, the redhead opened up to a small black haired girl.

"Rukia."

"Hey Renji, I knew you two would be here. Karin and Yuzu told me,"

"Yeah we were bored," replied the redhead as he closed the door behind his friend since they were babies in diapers. The two headed into the kitchen to see Ichigo and Toushiro staring at one another, an awkward silence in the air.

"Hey Ichigo, Toushiro! How are you guys?" ignoring the air, Rukia went over to Ichigo and stood beside the carrot top when he placed his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, his eyes never leaving the bleached white haired teen on the other side of the table.

Green eyes darkened just slightly, while brown eyes stared intently. Rukia looked at the two and glanced at Renji, who just shook his head. Rukia without looking away from the guys reached down and picked up the first thing that came in contact with her hand; by its texture she knew it was food.

She began to munch on it, never taking her eyes off the two when she swallowed however; she looked down at her hand and noticed that the food she had picked up was a cookie.

"Hey Toushiro, are these the cookies I asked for?" that broke the cold war and Ichigo looked down at his girlfriend.

"What?"

"You asked Toushiro to bake you cookies?" Renji asked. He knew Rukia liked sweets but to ask Toushiro…..even that was a bit weird.

She looked at her boyfriend and her two best guy friends, "yeah, I asked him to make me a bunch of cookies since my uncle's birthday is coming up. I can't cook and neither can Orihime or Rangiku."

"But why Toushiro?"

"Because you two can't cook either and I didn't want to ask my sister and her husband to help since they're already so busy with their new baby. Plus I knew Toushiro could cook so it seemed like the most logical idea," the raven haired girl explained as she continued to munch on the cookies.

"Why not go out and buy them?"

"Do you know how hard it is to find bunny shaped cookies?" as if to show him, she raised the cookie in her hand so that the guys could see. Suddenly this whole incident seemed embarrassing and stupid and Ichigo felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He laughed and Renji snickered, Rukia smiled and even Toushiro felt his face loosen up into a little grin.

"Oh man, I feel stupid. Sorry Toushiro," Ichigo reached over and placed his hand out in a friendly shake, "no hard feelings?"

"Yeah, you know I wouldn't do something like that Ichigo." The white haired man reached over and shook his friend's hand.

"Sorry man, you know how I get." Family and friends were what Ichigo treasured the most in life; he allowed nothing to get between that. Nothing.

"Yeah,"

"So now that all this loving bromance is done, want to head out and play a game?" Renji asked, remembering the text Tatsuki had sent him earlier that day asking if he wanted to play soccer with her and a few of their friends from university.

Ichigo agreed and asked if Rukia and Toushiro wanted to come along when the latter declined.

"Rukia?"

"I'll head out after you guys, I want to help clean up and pack these before I leave. It's at the park by your place right?"

"Yeah, meet you there in forty-five?"

"That should be enough time," Rukia nodded as Ichigo leaned down and kissed Rukia's forehead before she in turn slapped his butt for being so PDA in front of their friends. "Get out pervert!"

"You slapped my butt midget! I should file a sexual harassment complaint!" the carrot top yelled back as the two headed out, Renji already saying goodbye and texting Tatsuki.

"And I'll file a domestic violence charge against verbal and mental abuse!" Rukia countered, loving that while Ichigo was in medical school in the hopes of becoming a doctor; Rukia wanted to be a lawyer. She loved his attempts at her lawyer jargon.

When the door shut, Rukia turned to Toushiro and looked at the mess he had made for her.

"Busy day?"

"Don't even start," he murmured, running his hands through his hair and down his face. He looked at the small batch of finished cookies and looked at the batter of unfinished dough and the rest of the island table in dismay.

"How about you finish the cookies and I'll help clean up k?"

"Don't you have to leave?" he looked at his raven haired friend with one brow raised in question. She answered with a smile,

"We'd better move fast, then!"

* * *

In fifteen minutes Rukia had cleaned up most of the mess and placed the dishes in the sink and Toushiro had just placed into the oven his last batch of cookies.

"Done, you can head out now Rukia. You can take the first batch with you. It'll take at least twenty minutes for these to be ready and ten minutes to cool down. I'll head to your house to drop them off,"

"Are you sure? I've already asked so much." Rukia looked to her friend, a guy she'd first known in the last few days of middle school.

"It's cool; I need to get out anyway."

"You should come play with us, you're an excellent player Toushiro," Rukia said as she began cleaning the dishes, Toushiro stood and watched.

"Maybe…"

"No maybes. You've spent all day on these cookies, you need some sunlight. You're pale."

"I'm naturally tan Rukia."

"You've become pale." As stubborn as ever, Rukia glared at her friend, and he returned it with a cool stare; unbeknownst to them how long they stared at one another because before they knew it, the oven timer had gone off and Toushiro was heading over to pull the tray out.

Rukia placed down the dishes and headed over,

"Wow! These are so cute Toushiro! Uncle Juushirou will love them!" in a bout of energy Rukia reached over and hugged her smaller friend from behind, careful of the cookies. He smiled and placed them away from the girl he secretly liked.

"Careful, there still hot, have you packed the others yet?"

"Yeah here," the girl rushed over to the little box she had stuffed the other bunny cookies into and headed to the boy,

"I can't put them in yet or they'll lose their shape, we have to wait."

He could hear her sounds of disapproval but he stood firm. She was the one who asked him, and as a guy he couldn't let something he had done with his own two hands, be it baking or not, turn into a mess.

"You know, for a guy who doesn't like baking, you sure know a lot."

"I read, you know?" Toushiro looked at the girl with a raised brow when she turned back to wash the dishes.

"About baking though?"

He answered with a shrug. He watched the girl at his sink and let himself imagine what it would be like, to have Rukia as a wife. She'd wash the dishes as he cooked, he'd come from behind her and kiss her cheek and she'd smile at him and they'd look down at her slight tummy.

They'd have a house and—_damn_.

"Toushiro? I think the cookies are cool enough now,"

"Huh? Yeah,"

"You okay? You've been staring at me for a while."

"I'm fine," he turned and began packing the cookies into plastic wrap as she came up from behind him and peeked past his shoulder.

"Thanks again Toushiro, I know asking you was weird as it was. You didn't have to do all of this for me and my uncle,"

"I don't mind, and it's not like I don't know your uncle." He had met Rukia's uncle once before when they were barely in high school, since that meeting her uncle took an instant liking to him and though at the time he treated him like a child, Toushiro liked the attention. Though now, as an adult on his own, he felt just slightly embarrassed by the eccentric man.

"True, true," the raven haired woman had in her hand the basket and waited patiently as Toushiro began packing the flour and eggs. "So will you be joining us today?"

"Wasn't I dropping this off?"

"Nah, we can take it to my house together and then head to the park," the girl reasoned and at times like these, Toushiro wished she wasn't so logical.

"Sure, they should be done now, hand me the basket."

"Here,"

Taking the cookies, the bleached white haired man nicely tucked in the rabbit shaped cookies and hoped Rukia's uncle liked them, though…..

"Done, let me lock up and we can head out,"

"Sure, I'll be at the door." Ignoring the remaining mess and added dishes, Rukia headed out of the apartment with a basket full of warm cookies and a large smile on her face.

"Ready?" locked up and keys in hand, Toushiro looked at Rukia who in return grinned at him like a cat with milk, if cats could grin, Rukia hooked her right arm with Toushiro's.

"I'm so ready to eat these—ah." She glanced at her friend to her right and he caught her eyes with a raised brow,

"I would think your uncle would let you have some, I don't mind."

"Ah- right yeah!" looking away, Toushiro smiled to himself; as if he hadn't already figured her out. What man wants rabbit shaped cookies for his birthday?

"Hey Rukia?"

"Hmm?" turning to her friend, her purple eyes wide and trying to remain innocent of her hungry thoughts, Toushiro, in that moment, wanted to kiss her; instead he smiled and unhooked his arm from hers and grabbed her across her shoulders and pulled her to him until their heads touched.

"Happy valentine's day," and off he was as she was left behind yelling at him about baskets full of cookies and cheaters who start before they should. All the while he laughed at her and at him, at the thought of them.

Because though he loved her, she wasn't his. She knew that, and he was glad.


End file.
